A growing concern over the way actresses are being photographed and filmed at public events has prompted the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce to issue a strong warning to paparazzi, digital media platforms and content creators. The matter gained attention after actor Saptami Gowda recently expressed anger over photographers capturing photos and videos from objectionable angles and circulating them online. Her protest quickly drew support from within the film fraternity, pushing the issue to the Film Chamber for intervention.
Taking note of the complaint, the Chamber’s president Jayamala convened a meeting on March 9 with members of the Central Mediation Committee and representatives from various film bodies. According to the official statement, actors Sapthami Gowda and Dhananjaya had written to the Chamber highlighting how female artistes attending film and public events were being filmed in a manner they termed indecent and humiliating.
The meeting was attended by several industry representatives and artistes, including Malavika Avinash, Shruti, and filmmaker Tharun Sudhir, along with film Publicist and members of digital media and YouTube platforms.
After detailed discussions, representatives from digital media and the PRO fraternity assured the Chamber that such photos and videos would not be posted in the future. They also confirmed that objectionable content already uploaded had been removed.
The Chamber also made it clear that such incidents must not recur. If they do, the responsibility will lie with the publicists managing the events and media access. In case similar photos or videos are captured again, the Chamber said a complaint will immediately be filed with cybercrime authorities and legal action will follow.
The message from the Chamber is direct: access to events does not give anyone the right to cross the line.
