Actor Jaya Bachchan has often been under the prying eyes of the paparazzi and is known to have a tense relationship with them. Jaya has frequently made headlines following her confrontations with them at public places, such as airports, to name one.
In a recent conversation with journalist Barkha Dutt, the actor spoke about her relationship wit these freelancers. Addressing what her equation with the paparazzi is like, she said, "My relationship with media is fantastic." The actor, also a Rajya Sabha MP, went on to add that her father (Tarun Kumar Bhaduri) was a journalist and that she is a media product. "I come from media. I have immense respect, tremendous respect for such people," she said. However, she questioned the paparazzi culture, stating, "My relationship with them is zero. Who are these people? Are they trained to be representing the people of this country? You call them media?"
Jaya also questioned the attire and the educational background of the paparazzi, and the nature of job that they do. "Just because they have a mobile, they can take your picture and say what they want. And the kind of comments they pass... What kind of people are they? Where do they come from? They will represent us just because they can get through to YouTube or whatever social network..," she vented out.
The actor-politician also stated that one of her staffers in Delhi told her that she is "the most hated person on social media" and that in reply, she said, "I do not care. You hate me, it is your opinion and you are entitled (to have it)."
The actor also weighed in on the culture where actors, generally youngsters in cinema, call the paparazzi over to the airport for self publicity with the illusion of an accidental encounter. "If you have to call the paparazzi just for your photo at airports, what kind of a celebrity are you?" she rhetorically stated.
She also said that her grandson, Agastya Nanda, the star of The Archies and the upcoming film Ikkis, is not on any social media platform. "Everyone teases him that you will, at some point, have to get into social networks. He says, 'We will see.'"
