In February this year, Alia Bhatt slammed photographers who had from a structure opposite her apartment taken photographs of her inside, scrolling through her phone and spending private time with family. The A-lister took to Instagram to call out the “invasion of privacy” and tagged the Mumbai police. “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),” the 30-year-old said in the post. 

Soon, several other celebrities shared similar experiences. The situation alluded to the cant-live-with-or-without-you equation that cinema stars share with photographers. While the big names may not like to admit the publicity that paparazzi or photographers’ social media accounts generate for them, for the smaller faces, being clicked could prove make or break. It is a symbiotic relationship. Without the stars, the photographers would not only be jobless, they’d be robbed of the following they enjoy and the reactions that pictures of the famous garner for them. And in this mix is the star’s publicist or manager, often the key to a celebrity presence tip off.