Don’t celebrities deserve some privacy? Recently, photos of a pregnant Katrina Kaif on her balcony have been making the rounds online. But is this the right way to report on celebrities?
Katrina has deliberately kept her pregnancy out of the public eye, choosing silence over spectacle. But looks like privacy is a luxury for celebrities.
A media organisation has shared pictures of Katrina Kaif on her home’s balcony. Katrina and husband Vicky Kaushal have been discreet about the pregnancy, and Kaif has also not stepped out of her home in some time.
However, yesterday, a media portal shared leaked pictures of the pregnant actor sitting on her own home’s balcony. While Katrina Kaif hasn’t reacted to the breach of privacy, netizens are furious online.
“Camera se pehle manners on karo," one of Katrina’s fans wrote. “Where’s the privacy??? It’s her home, why click her at her balcony?" asked another. “There is a word breach of privacy. We shouldn’t disturb them," a third comment read.
The private pictures on Katrina, showcasing her baby bump, instantly went viral on the internet. Neither she nor Vicky has reacted to the viral photos yet.
It’s not the first time this has happened. In 2023, Alia Bhatt’s balcony pictures sparked a similar debate about consent and boundaries. Alia, who already shares generous glimpses of her life through interviews and social media, had to publicly call out photographers for clicking her from a private space.
She had taken to Instagram and penned a long note, “Are you kidding me? I was at my house, having a perfectly normal afternoon, sitting in my living room when I felt something watching over me. I looked up and saw two men on the terrace of the neighbouring building with a camera right at me. In what world is this okay and is this allowed? This is a gross invasion of someone’s privacy. There’s a line that you must not cross, and it is safe to say that all lines were crossed today (sic).”
Janhvi Kapoor also shared how she too faced a similar situation. She wrote on her Instagram stories, “This is disgustingly intrusive. This publication has repeatedly done things like this. Including, despite my continuous requests, photographed me unaware; inside the gym I go to while working out through the glass door. In a space that is supposed to be private, where one does not anticipate to get photographed. I understand showing up to places and in plain sight doing your job. Where there is a mutual understanding of the job of the photographers, and the job and requirements of being a public figure. This stealthiness, zooming into someone's private space without their consent or even awareness and calling it exclusive as if it's a journalistic accomplishment is far from it (sic).”
But maybe the real question isn’t whether celebrities deserve privacy — that’s obvious — but whether we, the audience, are willing to give it. Where do you think the paps and public should draw the line?
