Actor Gautam Rode has shared his candid views on the growing paparazzi culture in the entertainment industry, questioning the practice of celebrities calling photographers to click them at airports, gyms and other public places. In a conversation with Telly Chakkar, the actor explained why he personally does not relate to the trend and said he would rather let his work speak for itself.Talking about celebrities who deliberately call the paparazzi to get themselves photographed, Gautam said he finds the practice difficult to understand, especially when someone is simply spending time with their family.“I don’t understand why people are doing this. I’m coming on holiday with my family, so why would I call someone to take my pictures? I genuinely don’t understand it,” he said.The actor went on to point out how common the practice has become, particularly on social media. According to him, the same set of celebrities frequently appear on Instagram, which has increasingly become a major source of visibility and, subsequently, news.“Now I see people stepping out of the gym and getting their pictures clicked. I just don’t get it. Take your own picture and put it up. Calling someone specifically for it… Look, there’s nothing right or wrong about it. These are the same people you see everywhere now. But if you look at Instagram, which is what people follow these days, those are the people who make it into the news,” Gautam said.He explained that the cycle is fairly straightforward: celebrities call photographers, their pictures are posted on social media, and those same pictures eventually become the content audiences consume.“On Instagram, you keep seeing the same four people who have called the paparazzi, or whatever you want to call them. Those people take their pictures and post them, and then you see them. If you’re not coming across them anywhere else, at least you recognise them because you’ve seen them on Instagram. So that’s why people do it,” he added.However, Gautam was quick to clarify that he does not consider himself an authority on the subject and does not believe there is necessarily a right or wrong way to approach paparazzi culture.“But that doesn’t mean I’m some authority who can tell you what is right or wrong. It’s about what you believe in and how you view that culture. It’s not for me,” he said.When asked whether he had ever been advised to participate in the paparazzi culture, Gautam admitted that he had received such advice at one point.“Yes, I did get that advice in between,” he said, before making a distinction between genuine professional coverage and deliberately orchestrated paparazzi appearances.“Look, if you’re doing a shoot, then it makes sense. You’re on a shoot, and someone is there covering it, that’s understandable,” he explained.According to Gautam, however, the situation is different when celebrities are photographed simply for visibility. He acknowledged that the practice is widespread and suggested that there must be a reason people continue to invest in it.“But otherwise, everyone is doing it. Who isn’t? I’d say 90% of people do it and 10% don’t. Those who are doing it must be benefiting from it, otherwise they wouldn’t be spending money on it. They pay their PR teams, the PR teams call the paparazzi, they take their pictures and post them,” Gautam said. He further claimed that in some cases, celebrities also pay to have their pictures featured on websites.“In some cases, you even pay to have your pictures placed on certain websites,” he said.‘You’re paying for it yourself and then getting yourself praised’ For Gautam, the bigger concern with the trend is its impact on authenticity. He questioned whether repeatedly paying for visibility and praise takes away from the idea of organically building a public image.“But the problem is that you’re supposed to remain authentic. Now, if you want to be called beautiful, you can get yourself called beautiful. If you want to be called the best-looking man, you can get yourself called the best-looking man. If you want to be called the Hulk, you can get yourself called the Hulk,” he said.“So what are you doing? You’re paying for it yourself and then getting yourself praised. That is one problem,” the actor added.“But on the other hand, how else do you get visibility? If you want to be seen, then this is how you get seen,” he said. Gautam described himself as “old-school” and maintained that he would rather wait for opportunities to come through his work than actively create visibility around himself.“I’m old-school. I would say, when the work comes, you’ll see. They say, ‘But the work is less.’ I say, ‘Then see less.’ What else can I say?” he remarked.Despite his reservations about the culture, Gautam stressed that he does not believe people who choose to participate in it are necessarily doing something wrong. For him, it ultimately comes down to personal choice.“But again, coming back to it, there is nothing right or wrong about it. To each their own. If you’re comfortable with it and you think it works for you, do it. Get yourself covered, get yourself featured,” he said.“If people are covering what you’re wearing or clicking your pictures, there must be some benefit to it, otherwise, people wouldn’t do it. I just don’t understand it personally,” Gautam concluded.
