Mumbai: Actor Esha Deol has spoken out against the disrespectful treatment of Jaya Bachchan, Hema Malini and other veteran actors by social media trolls and, at times, paparazzi too.
The actress said that the photographers are being guided and encouraged such interactions for social media traction.
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Esha said that photographers should not be held solely responsible for their behaviour, as they are often guided by the people managing them.
“When a child grows up into a teenager and is not really well-behaved, who do you blame? The parents, because they have not given the child the right upbringing. Similarly, I think, with this culture, the photographers are all being guided,” she said.
“I don’t think it is the fault of the individual guy who is clicking the picture. It is whoever is running the pages who wants to put these things on their pages to attract more likes or traction. So, that is where I think the root cause needs to be addressed,” she added.
Esha, who has also spoken about the way veteran actors are treated by paparazzi, said that she has experienced such situations as a family and does not consider the behaviour respectful.
“I mean, we have been through this as a family, and I don’t think it is respectful at all. If you ask me honestly, the industry is made of these people. Without taking names, they are all the pillars of our industry. You have to respect them, and they are the ones who have given you cinema to begin with,” she said.
Esha further said that photographers should understand the difference between celebrities who enjoy light-hearted banter with them and those who are uncomfortable with such interactions.
“So, give them that respect, and the ones who enjoy banter with you, do it with them. What is the harm? Because there is a section of people who enjoy doing it also,” she said.
“So, you stick to your lanes correctly. Yahaan pe karo hi mat aur yahaan pe karo jo karna hai (Don’t do it here, and do whatever you want to do there). I think it is as simple as that,” she added.
For the uninitiated, veteran actors who are not familiar with the social media game are often seen getting annoyed with paparazzi directing them to look left, right and centre for the perfect picture.
Jaya Bachchan, in particular, has frequently been at the receiving end of social media trolling for her interactions with photographers, with her displeasure over their conduct often becoming a talking point online. Hema Malini, too, has faced criticism for her responses to paparazzi.
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