The recent video showing actress Kareena Kapoor Khan being bullied at Mumbai airport has angered many. Though Khan was visibly uncomfortable and obligated to take selfies despite the intrusion of people into her personal space, the incident has shed light on fans’ insensitive behavior.
“You can’t jump on anyone,” says Yusuf Ibrahim, safety adviser to Bollywood’s top actors. Ask why Khan was seen unsecured and he says: “A lot of stars move around unsecured thinking the fans can’t hurt them; all they want are pictures. But there is a way to do it respectfully.”
Celebrity staffers also agree that these unfortunate incidents mostly occur when celebrities are taken by surprise.
Talent manager Abhishek Thukral, who often travels with his acting clients, says: “You don’t expect that in a place like Mumbai airport where there are crowds coming and going all day. What happened to Kareena wasn’t okay because you can’t invade someone’s privacy, but it was one of those instances where fans got too excited and tried to get too close to her. In such cases, even the acting team is startled. It will be late by the time they process what happened.”
Thukral goes on to explain that in a common scenario, everyone on the actor’s team “including security guards and others is well informed on how to handle a situation like this.”
On the subject of airport security, PR consultant Prashant Golecha says: “Airport security is good enough, but it’s a public place. Anyone can become a fan. You really can’t control that.”
He adds: “In the desperate need to take selfies, fans go overboard, which I condemn, but we can’t complain about pap or selfie culture because we’re all responsible for making it what it is. what she is. Actors don’t mind being clicked as that is considered a measure of fame and fans want pictures to be flaunted on social media. But we can all try to make things easier for everyone.”
Celebrity manager Prakhar Gaur says: “We have to remember that fans want a selfie or a minute of small talk because to them it means everything. Aside from increasing security, we as managers and PRs should be the thread that binds celebrities and fans together. Fans are people too, you just have to talk a little. Ask them to step back politely, be patient, respect personal space, and the picture will happen. That’s the trust that we, as PRs, need to build with the fans. That way it’s a double win, the celebrity isn’t being bullied and the fans go home happy and getting what they want.”
To give some perspective to this whole fan culture, even paparazzi have something to add.
When asked what he thinks is the reason for such unfortunate incidents, Viral Bhayani says it is nothing but disrespectful behavior on the part of the fans. “You cannot be so impressed by the stars that you overstep the line of respect. The way fans bullied Kareena was very disrespectful and she was definitely affected by that behavior. Her face turned red. I don’t remember ever seeing her like this despite the fact that so many fans gather in front of her house every day.”
Bhayani wants people to understand that not every artist likes to take selfies, even without permission. “For example, Kartik Aaryan is very friendly when it comes to taking selfies. However, that doesn’t mean you can take him for granted and make him lose his calm. Fans need to understand that actors are people too. They will always comply with their fans’ requests. All they expect in return is a little patience and respect,” he explains, also urging artists not to be so nice that people start taking advantage of them.
The viral video shows Kapoor handling the situation in the most dignified manner, for which she has been praised across the internet. While another paparazzi, Yogen Shah, credited her for keeping calm, he warns fans of the repercussions.
“These celebrities talk to you, click on pictures and act kindly because you are their fans. But fans who behave irrationally should understand that they are very powerful people – not only financially, but also in terms of contacts. They don’t show their power out of humility and let things go. But it will reach saturation and when that happens the fans will ke liye badi problem ho jayegi.
Shah also points to the body language of these people and says he doesn’t understand the motive behind this behavior because it’s certainly not fan behavior. “In Kareena’s case, the way this man tried to chase her for the selfie and put his hand on her shoulder looked very offbeat. If I want to click on a picture with my favorite celebrity, my body language is different. I will stand respectfully with folded hands.”
Shah suggests a solution: “Rather than run and get clicked, stars should instead stand near the car for 15-20 seconds for the images and then move on to safety. This will help prevent incidents like this.”
Another pap, on condition of anonymity, discusses the problem and offers a solution. He says: “Sometimes even celebrities overdo it with their behavior, which gives people the freedom to behave inappropriately. I often see photographers flirting with the actors as they click pictures and make videos. The tone is wrong. I think where mahol kharaab krta hai. You shouldn’t behave like that. Actors shouldn’t encourage this type of behavior as people start to take it lightly and push their limits.”