Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 19: Veteran actor Jaya Bachchan continued to maintain her distance from the paparazzi at an awards function on Wednesday evening, firmly declining requests to pose for photographs despite repeated calls from photographers stationed outside the venue.
Jaya, who skipped the red carpet, was seen exiting the event with friends when photographers began clicking pictures and urging her to pose. The actor, however, avoided the cameras and chose not to engage with them.
The situation shifted briefly when filmmaker Karan Johar stepped out. Greeting the group warmly, Karan smiled as photographers requested the two to pose together. Jaya declined, pointing a finger at the paparazzi with a stern expression before hugging Karan goodbye.
As Karan walked towards his car, photographers thanked him. With a grin, he quipped, “Meri wajah se mila photo (You got her picture because of me),” before returning to share the joke with Jaya and her friends — prompting a mild smile from the veteran actor.
Karan shares a longstanding rapport with Jaya, having directed her in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and more recently in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
Speaking at The Indian Express’ 2023 Express Adda, Karan had said Jaya’s casting in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was a deliberate attempt to present her against type.
“She has such a wonderful image on and off the screen. She is a mother figure to me. When I wanted to cast against type, I thought it would be a great role for her,” he said, adding that she is far removed from the stern character she portrayed in the film.
In a separate interview with Mid-Day, Karan remarked that Jaya was a favourite among the crew and even knew all 12 assistant directors by name. “She is not this persona at all. She is not Dhanlakshmi,” he said, referring to her character in the 2023 film.
Last year, in an interview with Mojo Story, Jaya addressed her discomfort with paparazzi culture, stating that she has “zero” relationship with them.
“Who are these people? Are they trained to be representing the people of this country? You call them media? I come from media, my father was a journalist,” she said.
She also criticised what she described as the lack of professionalism and decorum among some photographers, questioning their background and conduct.
Jaya’s remarks had initially drawn criticism from sections of the paparazzi community. However, as Wednesday’s event showed, photographers continue to document her public appearances — even if she chooses not to acknowledge them.
The brief exchange at the awards venue, softened by Karan’s humour, once again highlighted the veteran actor’s consistent stand on maintaining personal boundaries in an increasingly intrusive celebrity culture.