How Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal kept son Vihaan away from cameras for a year

Dubai: For an entire year, Bollywood stars Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal managed something increasingly rare in the age of social media: Keeping their baby son's face away from the public eye.

But how did one of Bollywood's most talked-about couples protect little Vihaan's privacy despite constant public curiosity?

The answer lies in a carefully maintained boundary between their public and private lives, including a personal request to paparazzi not to photograph their son.

That changed on Sunday, November 8, when Katrina and Vicky finally revealed Vihaan's face in a heartwarming Diwali family portrait, just a day after his first birthday.

The airport encounter

One of the clearest examples of the couple's approach came in May 2026, when Katrina and Vicky were spotted at Mumbai airport with their baby.

Rather than avoiding photographers altogether, the couple reportedly introduced Vihaan to the paparazzi while politely requesting that they refrain from taking his picture.

According to reports published at the time, Katrina was carrying Vihaan when she asked photographers not to capture images of her with the baby.

The unusual encounter showed how the couple sought to balance their public lives with their child's privacy.

Katrina also offered carefully chosen glimpses of motherhood on social media. In one photograph, she was seen reading the children's book Gujapati Kulapati to Vihaan, with only his tiny hands visible.

Vicky, meanwhile, has spoken about the emotional transformation of becoming a father. In an interview with GQ India, he described parenthood as a grounding experience, saying that every day brought a new emotion.

Family pictures, but no face

The couple also controlled what they shared on social media.

When Vihaan's name was announced in January, fans were shown a touching photograph of his tiny hand held between those of his parents, rather than a picture revealing his face.

Even when Katrina celebrated her birthday in July, the family photographs offered only carefully selected glimpses of Vihaan.

The baby appeared in the pictures, but his face remained concealed.

It was a consistent approach that allowed the couple to share the happiness of parenthood without making their son a regular presence on social media.

Why Diwali was different

On November 8, the couple finally decided to introduce Vihaan to the wider public.

The timing made the occasion especially meaningful. Vihaan had turned one the previous day, and the family was celebrating Diwali together.

In the photograph, the toddler beams at the camera in a cream kurta-pyjama and yellow jacket, while his parents sit affectionately beside him.

"Our brightest Diwali yet," the couple wrote, wishing everyone love, light and happiness.

The photograph attracted affectionate reactions from Bollywood celebrities, including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor and Kiara Advani.

A growing Bollywood trend

Katrina and Vicky are not alone in choosing to protect their children's privacy.

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli have repeatedly requested photographers not to publish pictures of their children, Vamika and Akaay.

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt also initially kept their daughter Raha away from cameras before introducing her publicly.

For Katrina and Vicky, the decision to reveal Vihaan's face appears to have been made on their own terms.

After a year of carefully guarding his privacy, they chose a family celebration to share their son's smile with the world.