Image shared by fan account. (courtesy: actorsaifalikhan)
Actor Saif Ali Khan, who was the latest victim of privacy invasion by the paparazzi, has issued a statement, dismissing some media reports that claimed that the actor will be firing his guard and taking legal action against the paparazzi. The actor also took the opportunity to elaborate on the incident whereby 20 people barged into his private property at 2 am. "The building security guard is not being sacked, it is not his fault and neither is anybody taking legal action against the paps because that is not how we want to do things. However, the fact is that they did barge inside the private property through the gate, past the security guard and completely invaded our space, and put 20 cameras and lights on us as if it's their right to do that, and this is wrong behavior and everyone needs to be in limits. We cooperate with the paparazzi all the time and we understand but outside the house, outside the gate, otherwise, where does one draw the line? That is why I commented on the bedroom because they had already crossed one line, so how many lines does one have to cross before it's utterly ridiculous. The paps shooting the children, while they are doing extra-curricular classes or any class, all this is not required, paparazzi cannot come inside the school, there are lines drawn. and that's all we are saying and the rest of the noise and chatter is because no one knows what the truth is and everyone wants to sell something but this is the truth. and that's all I have to say, thank you" the 52-year-old actor said.
Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan attended Malaika Arora's mom Joyce Arora's 70th birthday party on the night of March 2. After the party, the couple was making their way into their Mumbai residence when the paparazzi started following them, asking them to pose for pictures. Saif Ali Khan, accompanied by his wife Kareena Kapoor, said this to the paparazzi following them to their house: "Ek kaam kariye, aap hamare bedroom me aajaiye (Do one thing, just step into our bedroom also)."
Notably, this is not the first time that celebrities have schooled the paparazzi over the invasion of their privacy. Last month, Alia Bhatt called out a media house after they had published a picture of the actress at her home without her consent. After Alia Bhatt, several actors wrote about their invasion of privacy, including Anushka Sharma, Janhvi, Arjun Kapoor and filmmaker Karan Johar and film veteran Zeenat Aman.
Actress Sushmita Sen also shared a post about privacy being a “myth” in the case of celebrities. The former Miss Universe reshared a note originally posted by author Huma Tanweer on the degrading “paparazzi culture” on her Instagram Stories. It read, “In a world made smaller by the virtue of the internet, technology, and social media, privacy is but a myth. And if you are a celebrity, you have it worse.” “With the paparazzi culture at its peak, there is little that can be kept hidden. Guys, how can you catch someone off guard despite their repeated requests to the media for privacy? When are we going to draw the lines? Are we becoming nothing more than PR machinery? Our right to privacy cannot be in any manner violated. Media frequently blurs the lines between personal and social lives. They substantially confuse the two and the outcome is obnoxious and unscrupulous. Since we all have a psychological need for privacy, there should inevitably be a dichotomy between a celebrity's private and public lives. The media should refrain from intruding on this demarcation line. The practice of using such news to boost channel ratings and garner the most viewers is by no means appropriate,” read the full post.
Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan got married in 2012 and they are parents to two sons - Taimur, 6, and Jeh, who they welcomed in 2021. Saif Ali Khan was last seen in Vikram Vedha.