Jaya Bachchan raises questions about who really calls the paparazzi

Jaya Bachchan has never been shy about calling out what she believes is wrong with celebrity culture, and her latest remarks have reopened one of Bollywood’s most complicated conversations, who is really responsible for the paparazzi frenzy?

At a recent event in Mumbai, the veteran actor shared her frustration with the intrusive nature of paparazzi behaviour, questioning their growing presence and the authenticity of their role in today’s media landscape. Her comments come at a time when the thin line between publicity and invasion of privacy has all but blurred.

Jaya Bachchan on paparazzi culture

Jaya’s viral statement “If you have to call the paparazzi just for your photo at airports, what kind of a celebrity are you?” hits right at the heart of a long-running rumour: do celebs inform paps about their whereabouts?

The airport has quietly turned into Bollywood’s unofficial runway, and the sudden “coincidental” appearances of photographers at just the right time has often raised eyebrows.

Jaya’s remark brings this silent choreography into the spotlight, questioning the performative nature of celebrity culture today.

“We Should Tip Paps Not to Click Us”: Kareena Kapoor

Interestingly, Kareena Kapoor added her own tongue-in-cheek perspective on Dining with the Kapoors, saying that celebrities should tip paparazzi so they don’t click them. The remark, playful yet pointed, shows how even A-listers feel the fatigue of constant scrutiny.

But it also reveals another truth: the relationship between stars and paps isn’t one-sided. It’s transactional, interdependent, and sometimes uncomfortably necessary.

A culture built on visibility and vulnerability

In today’s fast-moving entertainment world, visibility is currency. A single missed appearance, a quiet month, or a disappearing act from social media can cost relevance. Celebrities know this and so do the paparazzi.

Blaming photographers for simply doing their job is unfair. But blaming celebrities for seeking visibility in a hyper-competitive industry is also unfair. Both sides are operating within a system where attention equals survival.

Both are responding to demand from fans, from media houses, from the entertainment economy itself.

Who’s controlling the camera?

• The truth lies somewhere in the grey space between fame and performance.
• Are stars secretly calling the paps while publicly pretending to dislike being clicked?
• Are paparazzi the villains, or just the easiest targets?
• Are celebrities victims of a chaotic system or architects of it?
• The bigger question remains: in Bollywood’s fame machine, who’s really framing the shot?