What happens when a personal tragedy becomes a public spectacle?
That’s exactly what unfolded when Bollywood actress’ Malaika and Amrita Arora’s father, Anil Mehta, took his own life in Mumbai on September 11.
The tragedy, a reported suicide, sparked an avalanche of paparazzi attention, and prompted actor Varun Dhawan to school the media on how to exercise restraint while covering sensitive tragedies like death.
The actor, upset by such distasteful intrusion of privacy, took to Instagram immediately to express his disappointment and rage.
He criticised the paparazzi’s crass behavior during this sensitive time, calling it deeply insensitive to the grieving family.
His message was clear: even celebrities deserve privacy and peace when they are dealing with personal loss.
But Viral Bhayani, a well-known figure in Mumbai’s celebrity photography scene with over 20 years in the industry, defended his tribe in an exclusive interview with Gulf News.
“Varun Dhawan has raised important concerns, but we do try to handle our work with dignity and maintain a respectful distance,” Bhayani explained over the phone.
He acknowledged the challenges of the job, saying, “We try to stay at a respectful distance during such situations. But with so many photographers at one spot, things can get chaotic. What used to be a 3-4 photographers is now often a crowd of 40. It’s a lot of pressure. And remember, celebrities often reach out to us themselves to stay in the spotlight,” Bhayani, alluding to the inter-dependent relationship between stars and photographers who help them remain in the spotlight.
He added that his team is always instructed to exercise restraint, particularly in editing decisions involving tragedies.
“We are careful not to show the face of the deceased and often choose to abstain entirely in certain situations. Respect is something we take seriously. In any part of the world, if there's a celebrity death or a royalty in the United Kingdom dies, they show visuals. We are just doing our jobs, as well as we can under the trying circumstances,” Bhayani added. He also felt that they were living in an era where content creators and photographers are multiplying by the minute.
“Anybody with a phone is now a photographer or a videographer. The public interest also skyrockets during such moments of birth, death, or weddings. We provide what our audience or viewers seek,” explained Bhayani.
But Dhawan isn’t impressed. His scathing Instagram story post included an audio recording of photographers discussing how to capture visuals of Arora’s dark times. In the background, you could hear frustrated voices on not being close enough to the scene of the action.
“It’s the most insensitive thing to point cameras in the face of people who are grieving, please. Think what you people are doing or what someone is going through when you do this. I understand it is work, but sometimes another human might not be okay with it,” Dhawan wrote, using the hashtag ‘humanity’. His post highlighted the invasive nature of the media coverage, which has been widely criticized.
The controversy erupted when the news broke that Malaika and Amrita Arora’s stepfather, 62, had reportedly committed suicide by jumping off his terrace on the sixth floor in Mumbai. As details emerged, a swarm of photographers and local media quickly gathered outside their home, capturing every moment and detail. Several reels chronicling the scene outside the apartment, including disturbing visuals of the aftermath with fresh blood and the crime scene, have been widely circulated on social media. This rabid coverage has intensified scrutiny on the paparazzi’s conduct.
Visuals of Malaika and Amrita Arora, visibly distressed and hiding their faces to avoid the cameras, rushing to their mother’s side, have been played repeatedly on several media channels and social media.
Additionally, footage of police investigating the death and interactions with media personnel are being played up. Multiple microphones being thrust into a police official’s face is now doing the rounds. The media also captured shots of Malaika's former partner, Arjun Kapoor, attempting to push through the local press to reach the apartment. This relentless coverage has drawn significant criticism for its insensitivity. A constant stream of visuals capturing every Bollywood celebrity like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan and his ageing parents have been documented.
A Broader Debate:
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about privacy boundaries for public figures. Dhawan’s remarks highlight growing discomfort within the entertainment industry regarding media intrusion during mourning, while Bhayani’s defense sheds light on the complexities of balancing public interest with personal dignity.
Interestingly, Bollywood celebrities often invite the same paparazzi to capture their public appearances, such as at airports or gyms. This dynamic reveals a complex relationship between stars and the media, where public figures sometimes seek attention and publicity, only to criticize the same media when it encroaches on their private lives. This duality underscores the ongoing tension between celebrities and paparazzi.
"At the end of the day, we are just doing our jobs. We try not to be aggressive and are careful about not thrusting cameras into a grieving person's face. But our job is challenging too," Bhayani noted.
Bhayani is among Bollywood's growing crop of paparazzi who make a living out of chronicling a star's daily life. Hanging around airports and restaurants, or camping outside their homes during weddings have become the new normal.
But there's an increasing pushback from stars too. A few months ago, actor Saif Ali Khan was filmed sarcastically telling paparazzi to “follow him into his bedroom” when they trailed him and his wife, Kareena Kapoor Khan, into their residence. Earlier this week, Alia Bhatt scolded the media for trailing after her into a private building.
Now, Dhawan’s public criticism of media intrusion during moments of personal grief has added fuel to the debate of toxic dynamics between a celebrity and the paparazzi.
