Alia Bhatt row: Intrusion of privacy, lack of consent — is India’s paparazzi culture going too far, too fast?

Varinder Chawla, a second generation Bollywood photographer with 1.2 million followers on Instagram, posted that ‘we stand with Alia’ after the incident. He said, “When we hire our photographers, we inform them that we should never breach anyone’s privacy to take pictures. Even then, there have been infractions. There was an incident when one of our photographers clicked a picture of one actor swimming in a pool in Bandra. At that time, I had scolded my team and ensured that it isn’t repeated. No one has the right to click anyone, actors or civilians, without their consent.”

Varinder was one of the paps who Alia and Ranbir had personally called to discuss how they don’t want their daughter Raha to be clicked to safeguard her privacy. He adds, “When Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor had invited us to talk about not clicking their daughter Raha’s pictures, we understood their point of view and we respect their privacy. Once some pictures of their daughter had been circulated on social media but we requested publications not to carry those pictures, and they didn’t. We have to follow certain rules and regulations because it is a matter of mutual respect.

“There have been situations where a few publications’ photographers tag along with paps step out of line. They don’t listen to us, so we don’t know how to control that situation and that’s exactly what happened yesterday when Alia’s pictures were clicked. We totally condemn it; as photographers we have to be very cautious about what we click, and where.”

Popular photographer Manav Manglani is furious at the incident as it creates a negative image about photographers and paparazzi in India. He shared how he tells his team and other young people in the industry to always be mindful about protecting the privacy of celebrities. “This wasn’t a public place or even someone else’s home. How can anyone point the camera at someone’s living room?” he asked, pressing upon the importance of professionalism in business.

We discussed whether publications can be blamed, given at times these pictures are clicked by stringers and freelancers. “They are in the position to say no. A big publication shouldn’t fall for these cheap tactics for numbers. Respect and trust are very important in our business and it should be maintained at all level,” the senior photographer said.

But what about the pressure of exclusive content? Can that really make one cross the line? Manav replied, “Not at all. I get exclusive content on the road. One has to do their research and have contacts. We will never level down to breaching actors privacy for content. This was uncalled for and we stand with Alia Bhatt.” he said many of these freelancers are not even signed up by publications or photo agencies and are on field to make some quick money.

A photographer who refused to be named said the entire incident happened when photographers were invited for Emraan Hashmi’s event in a neighbouring building. He said that it’s not easy to access someone else’s terrace this way. “However one should have been careful about what, where and who they are clicking,” he added.

Sneh Zala, who’s been working for over six years as a pap, said what happened with Alia was an “absolute breach of privacy.”

“She was in her home and capturing her without consent is not acceptable. Everyone at home is at their comfort zone, to then click them is just so wrong. They’re humans first, artistes later. I work with Manav (Manglani) sir, we don’t operate from any such pressure. In fact we are very mindful that we click celebs at public spaces only.”

Sneh shared that the team follows a strict mandate of only restricting pictures to public properties and even then, the consent of artiste is paramount.

“It has happened that we have spotted them at airports, or outside a cafe or when they’re out for a walk and they have told us not to click them, so we don’t. We oblige no questions asked. Just because they’re public figures doesn’t mean they’ll be okay with pictures all the time, there’s no such contract. So what happened yesterday paints us in a bad light. But that isn’t the case. All of us are very mindful.”

A veteran photographer, on the condition of anonymity, said that every photographer should go through training in ethics of photography. When asked if photographers are needed to click such “exclusives” and if that’s why they take extreme steps to meet the demand, he says, “Demand and supply has not changed, it is exactly what it was earlier, one doesn’t have to succumb to the pressure of exclusives all the time. Now the pictures that were clicked yesterday, the ones that are being discussed so widely and stars are taking objection to, I don’t even understand the reason behind taking those pictures to be honest. There was no reason at all to click these pictures, but they did.”

He adds that the publication should also be responsible, because publishing such pictures will only encourage photographers to cross the line more often. “Nowadays stars are clicked anywhere and anyhow, they are photographed doing anything. It should not be like this,” he adds. So where does one draw a line? He says, “After yesterday’s incident, I think everybody needs to go through some kind of training. Today a lot of people who pose as paps are not even paps, but anyway, they all need to be trained in ethics.”

“Everyday we see so many pictures being clicked and videos being records of female stars stepping out of their homes or vehicles. They aren’t even comfortable, can we not give them a couple of minutes to prepare and then pose, so she is comfortable, and gets time to adjust their clothing before being clicked. Today I see and feel uncomfortable at how close some people go to actors to click their pictures and videos. Nobody takes time to understand if the person being clicked is even comfortable or not. There have been moments when celebs are clicked in their most uncomfortable moments, that’s not done, aapki nazar bhi nahi daalni chaahiye wahaan, aap camera daal rahe ho, with a lens focusing on them. What are you trying to show?”

How can we control this then? he says we have to be conscious about what we do. “According to Indian law I cannot exhibit your photo to someone, but yahaan toh hum photo nikaal rahein hai without consent. Jab tak yeh mutual chal raha hai, chal raha hai. Jis din in logo (celebs) ne legal route apna liya, sabke liye bohot difficult ho jaayega.”

While there is a symbiotic relationship between paps and stars, there’s a line one should not cross, opines actor Arbaaz Khan who, along with his girlfriend Giorgia Andriani, are often papped.

“Once a public figure is out in the open, there’s not much you can do. That’s part of the territory now, even if you don’t like it. Coming out of the airport, getting in a restaurant, driving a car… It’s being allowed also. I don’t know the law completely because I guess you can do it. Because otherwise it wouldn’t have been allowed and people wouldn’t be doing it.”

“But you’ve to draw a line when somebody is in their private space. Even when they are holidaying for that matter, they’re on their yacht, or a beach, everyone knows that’s their private time and not them being out in a public domain. Even if they are in their house, you can probably zoom into the camera and looking into their drawing rooms… I don’t think that is right. You need to have laws to protect them.

He says that this is in the ambit of being ‘morally right’ at present. “Moral duties are very different from laws. Morally what might seem right to somebody, someone else may not exercise it. People should have ethics, draw a line and be aware that this might affect a celebrity. I don’t approve such intrusive coverage. It’s also not so cool when it happens publicly, when you’re driving a car and they stop you for (a picture). We have all become used to it now. There are boundaries we are okay with but beyond a point, even the ones who like being photographed and being in the news, they too wouldn’t like a certain type of coverage or intrusiveness. Each to their own. Only laws can change (this),” Arbaaz concludes.