The game of perception is currently one of the biggest aspects of the Hindi film industry, and writer and socialite Shobhaa De recently weighed in on the topic. In a recent interaction, Shobhaa spoke about one key aspect of image-building practices — paparazzi photos. She elaborated on how paparazzi are often summoned at airports by stars to click their pictures and create hype around their airport looks.
Speaking to Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story, Shobhaa said, “Paparazzi are not just there, they are summoned there. There is a set of airport paparazzi who are on speed dial with the managers of the stars.”
Reflecting on the earlier generation of actors and how they were more accessible than current stars, Shobhaa said, “Actors in those days used to have secretaries. They did not have layers and layers of management managing them. So you could speak to the secretary and set up interviews and photo shoots with the star.”
She added, “It is not the same now. It is much corporatised and they are following the Hollywood model of image positioning. So the airport look and all of it is… The stylists are on the job and they are approached by big brands. The stars are approached by big brands through clothes. It is all about commerce, it pays off. So, if you’re not getting clicked at the airport, then you are a nobody.”
Shobhaa further revealed that young stars sometimes arrive at airports dressed up but have no flights to catch. They then get their staff to click their photos and circulate them in the media. “A lot of the young stars are never taking a plane to anywhere. They come with their trolleys in an Uber. They stand at the departure gate and one of their boys or girls take a picture of them at the airport and distribute it,” she said.
