Arhaan Khan and his friends delve into Mumbai’s paparazzi culture, uncovering untold stories about Bollywood stars.
In the latest episode of Arhaan Khan’s podcast “Dumb Biryani,” two paparazzos revealed the intricacies of photographing celebrities and how the paparazzi culture operates in India. They shared anecdotes about waiting for Shah Rukh Khan until the early hours of the morning and deleting a picture of Ranveer Singh. They also discussed the moment when a photo of Raha Kapoor with Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt went viral.
During the podcast, Sneh Zala and Vishal Mohan disclosed that celebrity couples now garner more attention than individual actors. They mentioned, “Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone, Sidharth Malhotra-Kiara Advani, Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma, they are in more demand.” They also provided insights into their work, including scouting popular spots in the city and covering events. They emphasized that they often have to wait for Shah Rukh Khan the longest, with Sneh mentioning, “We have to wait the longest for Shah Rukh Khan. When he goes to dub, he takes a lot of time.” Vishal added, “He comes only post-midnight, and by the time he leaves, it is 5-6 am.”
Sneh also emphasized his respect for celebrities’ privacy, mentioning that he refrains from taking their photos if they seem uncomfortable. He stated, “Now there is an understanding between the actors and the paps. If they say no and we respect that, next time the artist gives you respect. It has happened to us in the past.” He also shared an incident when they waited from 7 am at Juhu to click Ranveer Singh’s look from ’83, but they had to delete the photos later.
Vishal recounted an incident involving Katrina Kaif, where she initially refused to pose for a photo. He said, “Once Katrina refused to let me click her, and one week later she called me outside YRF and gave me proper exclusive photos. Even when she was in a relationship with Vicky Kaushal and it was new, I clicked their picture together, she got them deleted and requested that I should click her solo pictures. Now they are married.”
Both Sneh and Vishal emphasized the importance of staying alert in their profession and being cautious when dealing with children. They agreed with Arhaan and his friends that the paparazzi culture received a significant boost after the NMACC launch event, where the paparazzi were seen having fun interacting with Tom Holland and Zendaya.
Finally, they revisited the day they first photographed Raha Kapoor with Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. “Raha took the internet by storm. It was a significant day for us,” they recalled.