Jaya Bachchan has found herself at the centre of yet another paparazzi controversy. Her recent comments, described by many as elitist, have sparked fresh debates about celebrity entitlement, public space, and the strange co-dependence between stars and the people they claim to despise. At the recent We The Women Asia event in Mumbai, the veteran actor didn’t hold back against the paparazzi, questioning their education, background, and very right to exist in the entertainment ecosystem. She said, “But yeh jo baahar drain-pipe tight gande gande pants pehen kar, haath me mobile le ke. They think that just because they have a mobile, they can take your picture and say what they want…what kind of people are these people, where do they come from?”

 

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The internet, predictably, isn’t having it. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit called her remarks what they are — snobbish elitism. And he’s right. Because the story of India’s pap culture isn’t as simple as “rude celebrities vs annoying paps”. If anything, it’s a relationship built on mutual convenience that’s actively helped create, nurture, and profit both parties.

Related: How To Be A Good Pap: Aunty Has Some Tips For Y’all

Who benefits from the Indian paparazzi culture?

On the surface, celebrities pretend to be annoyed by photographers shouting their names at airports. But behind the scenes? It’s a different story entirely. Actor Gulshan Devaiah, in the AfterHours with All About Eve podcast, burst the bubble, revealing that stars and their PR teams call the paps. “My publicists don’t phone them and say that I’m taking a flight…I’m sorry, everybody, I’m bursting the bubble…It’s not like they’re waiting outside or something like that. I have been in the business for 13 years now, to the best of my understanding, they are informed about the location.

The pap-celeb ecosystem is quietly choreographed. Publicity teams tip them off. PR managers schedule “sightings”. Celebs who insist they value their privacy mysteriously end up with daily candids in the feed. So when Jaya Bachchan shames the paps, it lands awkwardly. The culture exists because celebrities need and enable it.

According to a report in The Hollywood Reporter India, the economics are staggering. Packages from prominent paparazzi agencies range from ₹25,000 per post to ₹3-5 lakh for retainers, depending on the celebrity’s stature. One photographer even claimed that Bollywood’s obsession with visibility has made him one of the highest taxpayers in the country. So, it is well established that this is a lucrative, well-oiled machine in which celebrities actively participate.

Why do paps even exist?

Prominent paparazzo Manav Manglani employs 10 people to supply approximately 20-30 online and print publications, funnelling content through his Instagram page. This is a business, and these photographers have managers, studios, and connections precisely because publications pay for celebrity coverage. The demand drives the supply.

And who’s creating that demand? We are. The scrolling, clicking, commenting public who can’t get enough of airport looks, gym outfits, and candid restaurant exits. But also, the celebrities who understand that visibility equals relevance in today’s entertainment landscape. The Hollywood Reporter India report mentioned above also states that younger stars are allegedly paying the paps to capture their contemporaries in bad moments. This proves that paps don’t magically appear out of thin air; they are an integral part of the industry.

Why Jaya Bachchan’s paparazzi comment sparked controversy

The paparazzi aren’t going anywhere. They serve a purpose for celebrities, publications, brands, and fans. The real question is how we make it more ethical. That means celebrities being honest about their participation in it. It means paparazzi showing restraint during genuinely private moments like funerals, hospitals, family emergencies, or when the celebs politely request not to capture them. It means publications considering the human cost of intrusive coverage. And it means all of us, as consumers, questioning why we’re so obsessed with watching famous people go to the gym.

But what it absolutely doesn’t need is elite people looking down at working photographers whilst simultaneously benefiting from the ecosystem those photographers maintain. Jaya Bachchan’s comments on paparazzi have turned into a controversy because she is a part of the system that benefits from the paps. You can critique the culture without disrespecting the individuals working within it, especially for how they dress or where they come from. They’re just the workers at the bottom of a pyramid built by people far richer and far more powerful.

The paparazzi may not always be pleasant, but at least they’re honest about what they’re doing. Can the same be said for the celebrities who privately call them, publicly criticise them, and constantly benefit from them?

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Related: “We Say A Silent Prayer”: Abhishek Bachchan On Jaya Bachchan’s Temper With Paparazzi