For a celebrity, getting photographed outside a gym may seem like a fleeting 10-second moment. For the photographer behind the camera, however, it can involve hours of waiting, travelling across Mumbai on a bike, skipping meals, dealing with a dead phone and, at times, spending an entire night outside a star’s residence.
The paparazzi industry has undergone a major transformation with the rise of Instagram. What once primarily involved photographers taking pictures for websites and magazines has evolved into a rapidly moving content business. A three-second clip can reach millions, an airport outfit can become a headline and a routine gym exit can turn into a viral Reel. Yet behind these seemingly spontaneous moments lies an organised network involving tips, locations, contacts, teams, salaries, paid promotions and, in some cases, mutually agreed boundaries.
So, who actually alerts the paparazzi? Who avoids doing so? How much money does a paparazzo earn? Why do some celebrities walk past cameras without acknowledging them despite possibly being the ones who informed photographers about their arrival? And what happens when a celebrity simply does not want to be photographed?
India Today Digital explored these questions by speaking to several Mumbai-based paparazzi who work at the heart of this ecosystem. Among them was Vishal, who has spent more than eight years in the profession and developed a passion for photography, along with other photographers who spoke anonymously. Their experiences offer an inside look at an industry that Bollywood audiences encounter every day but rarely understand in detail.
It starts with knowing where the stars are
Paparazzi work is not nearly as spontaneous as it appears on Instagram.
"Mostly every celebrity has a dedicated PR team nowadays, which calls us for spottings," Vishal, who says he was the first to introduce 4K celebrity coverage, told India Today Digital. "We go for these spottings and send the videos to our clients," he added.
However, waiting for PR calls is only one part of the job. Paparazzi also spend considerable time actively looking for celebrities.
Earlier, Bandra and Juhu were the primary areas of focus. Andheri has now emerged as another major zone, with paparazzi teams splitting themselves between these locations. They know which gyms celebrities prefer, approximate arrival times and even recognise the cars associated with particular stars.
Vishal said his team sometimes checks whether a celebrity's car is still parked outside their residence before following them. Popular cafes are another place where photographers keep watch. In Bandra, paparazzi frequently circulate around establishments where celebrities are known to visit.
"No one tells us if they are going to these cafes, but we know all their car numbers," he said.
This familiarity essentially functions as a paparazzo's beat. Instead of waiting outside a police station or court, they may spend hours outside a gym waiting for a celebrity to emerge.
Covering Mumbai's celebrity circuit also requires more than one person.
Vishal runs a five-member team, and the profession has evolved alongside social-media platforms. It initially revolved around photographs for websites, followed by iPhone videos created specifically for Instagram. Now, he says, there is growing demand for close-up 4K footage.
The appeal of 4K is clear: it provides viewers with extremely detailed images of celebrities, including their makeup and skin. At the same time, that level of detail has drawn objections from some stars.
Vishal said celebrities such as Karisma Kapoor and television actor Mahira Sharma have objected to the use of such zoomed-in footage. He claimed he was the first paparazzo to begin shooting celebrities in 4K.
There is, however, a limitation. Unlike a phone, a professional 4K camera requires preparation and setup, leaving photographers with a very short window. "For us, it is a game of three to five seconds," he said. "If we are able to capture the star for that duration, we are successful. If not, we do not get any footage."
Rain can make the task even more difficult.
Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt being clicked by paps (Photo: Yogen Shah)
The three-second celebrity appearance
One of the more unusual aspects of contemporary celebrity culture is the deliberate lack of interaction. A celebrity may arrive at a location, glance towards the cameras, give a brief wave and leave within seconds. In some cases, the same celebrity may have been responsible for informing the paparazzi about the appearance.
Vishal believes this has itself become a trend.
"Everyone is hopping onto this bandwagon of not posing properly, ignoring the paparazzi they called themselves and walking away from the cameras," he said.
According to him, the practice was once mainly associated with the biggest stars, but younger Bollywood actors have increasingly adopted it because they believe such clips perform better online. There are exceptions. Salman Khan, he said, remains among the celebrities who occasionally spend time interacting with photographers.
Vishal recalled being called to photograph Salman for a reality show. The actor told the paparazzi that he would pose after completing his shoot.
The economics of the profession makes such patience necessary. A photographer can wait five hours for just 30 seconds of usable footage. During Diwali, the waiting period can stretch much longer. Vishal said paparazzi sometimes remain outside celebrity homes overnight, from around 7 pm until 7 am, as stars attend or host multiple parties over several days.
He identified Manish Malhotra, Ramesh Taurani, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Malaika Arora and Ranbir Kapoor among the regular names linked to such Diwali gatherings.
There are also no real holidays.
"Whether it is Diwali, someone's birthday, any function or even a death ceremony, we get no holiday," he said.
What actually goes viral?
It may seem logical that Bollywood's biggest stars would automatically attract the highest engagement, but the paparazzi business does not always work that way.
Gym clips continue to perform well, but television and reality-show personalities can sometimes generate more views than major film stars. Vishal said contestants associated with shows such as Lock Upp and Splitsvilla are currently attracting significant engagement.
At one point, Shehnaaz Gill and Sidharth Shukla were so popular that paparazzi followed them outside Mumbai for footage. Later, Karan Kundrra and Tejasswi Prakash became strong performers.
Today, Vishal said a clip featuring someone such as Akanksha Choudhary could potentially attract more views than footage of Alia Bhatt.
The point is that the paparazzi economy is not driven solely by celebrity status. Engagement is what matters.
The camera follows the audience.
Who pays the paparazzi?
This is where what appears to be a chaotic business begins to resemble a structured industry.
Vishal said paparazzi and photographers work with established names and platforms including Viral Bhayani, Manav Manglani, Yogen Shah, Varinder Chawla, Voompla, Filmy Gyan and Instant Bollywood. Some photographers are employed by these organisations, while others work independently or maintain professional associations with them.
Those working with established platforms can receive fixed salaries, while additional income may come from Instagram promotions, brand integrations and PR agencies.
Film promotions represent another important revenue source.
Vishal said production houses such as Dharma Productions, T-Series and Yash Raj Films, along with PR agency Spice, pay for promotional material related to posters, trailers and songs.
Therefore, a photographer waiting outside a gym may not be earning solely from the footage or photograph eventually published. The wider ecosystem includes social-media promotions and entertainment marketing.
However, the profession is not necessarily financially secure.
Vishal said he worked with Manav Manglani for eight years before becoming independent, although he still receives assignments through professional connections. He also claimed that eight people who had worked with Viral Bhayani for years were recently dismissed.
"Instagram promotions are not enough to sustain a lifestyle, and PR agencies do not entertain paps without credible backing," he said.
Vishal posing with Rihanna during her latest India visit
So, how much does a paparazzo actually earn?
The financial reality is far less glamorous than the celebrity world they cover.
Vishal and other photographers estimated that the highest monthly income for a paparazzo in Mumbai is around Rs 30,000-35,000, including fixed pay and benefits such as food, petrol or equipment, depending on the arrangement.
Vishal said his own highest earnings had been approximately Rs 25,000 despite more than eight years in the profession.
Those entering the industry are also often locals. According to the photographers interviewed, established platforms generally favour people from Mumbai who understand the city's geography, know celebrity residences and are familiar with the entertainment circuit.
Fans who happen to spot celebrities may occasionally provide footage, but professional paparazzi work requires a different level of knowledge. "If they ask for selfies or autographs under the banner of the platform, the platform's integrity is undermined," Ajay, whose name was changed, said.
The profession therefore involves knowing when not to act like a fan.
The celebrities who want to be seen, and those who don't
Perhaps the biggest open secret in the industry is that not every celebrity sighting is entirely accidental.
According to the paparazzi interviewed, PR teams frequently contact photographers to alert them about celebrity appearances. However, the amount of information provided varies. Photographers may sometimes receive an exact location, while on other occasions they are only told that a celebrity will be at an airport. At times, they receive no information at all.
Airports are a separate part of the business.
At Mumbai airport, paparazzi generally operate in two shifts, from 7 am to 5 pm and from 5 pm until midnight. They track arrivals and departures, while airport staff may occasionally inform them when a celebrity has been spotted.
However, many airport appearances are also deliberately tipped off.
The photographers named Bhumi Pednekar, Shehnaaz Gill and Anil Kapoor among celebrities who have contacted paparazzi before airport appearances. Karan Johar has also allegedly alerted them at unusual hours while travelling.
The information can be carefully managed. For bigger stars, PR teams may give an airport manager only the flight number instead of revealing an exact exit or timing.
Then there are celebrities who actively avoid photographers.
Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan are among those whom paparazzi say generally do not alert them in advance. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone also do not routinely do so, although there have reportedly been occasions when Deepika's team wanted her arrival photographed.
According to Vishal, Shah Rukh takes avoidance a step further. He recalled a recent occasion when the actor returned from London with his family and arranged cars at several airport exits to evade photographers. The paparazzi waited at four exits, he said, but Shah Rukh eventually left through another.
A-list celebrities, it appears, understand the mechanics of the paparazzi business just as well as the photographers themselves.
South Indian stars have their own patterns. Several paparazzi said Ram Charan has tipped them off in the past, while Yash, Mahesh Babu and Allu Arjun generally do not.
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas also reportedly do not call paparazzi when visiting India. Their own Instagram posts can sometimes provide enough clues for photographers to determine their whereabouts.
Then there are the genuinely unexpected sightings.
Not every major celebrity photograph originates from a PR call. Paparazzi sometimes rely on their own network of sources and contacts.
When international celebrities arrive in Mumbai, photographers can track their hotels, restaurants and movements using information from their sources. Vishal said different paparazzi platforms may position people around hotels where visiting stars are staying.
Tom Holland waving at the paps during his Mumbai visit earlier this year (Photo: Yogen Shah)
The Odyssey moment
Vishal cited Tom Holland's Mumbai visit as an example, saying paparazzi knew he was staying at the Taj in Colaba and tracked his movements across the city.
He also recalled being the first to photograph KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty while they were dating, after spotting them leaving separately from Lower Parel late at night. He said he was also the first to photograph Hardik Pandya and Natasha Stankovic leaving the Bandra Kurla Complex years earlier.
Does breaking such stories damage relationships with celebrities?
"Not really," almost all the photographers said.
That response highlights one of the industry's unusual dynamics. The same paparazzi can be the people celebrities contact when they want publicity and the people who publish a story when the celebrity would prefer privacy.
The relationship continues because both sides recognise the value of the ecosystem.
What happens when celebrities say: Don't photograph this
The most sensitive aspect of paparazzi work concerns children.
According to Ajay, several celebrity couples and families have personally approached photographers following the birth of their children and requested that the babies not be photographed. He said Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, Athiya Shetty and Suniel Shetty's family, and Rani Mukerji have all expressed such preferences.
He also recalled Virat Kohli sending hampers to paparazzi accompanied by notes asking them not to photograph his children. In some situations, such arrangements remain informal. In others, legal action can follow.
Ajay said paparazzi pages may receive copyright notices when unauthorised photographs of celebrity children are posted. He recalled the controversy involving Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's daughter Raha, when the couple's concerns about photographs resulted in legal notices.
Vishal also remembered the incident. His team, he said, tries to edit footage whenever a child appears accidentally, even briefly.
"They eventually find out who photographed the baby," he said, "and that can bring on numerous issues."
This is also where mutual understanding becomes significant. Vishal said he met Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, who requested that photographs be taken only when they were comfortable. His team now follows that arrangement.
Varun Dhawan (L) and Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt (R) getting clicked with paps (Photo: Yogen Shah)
Ranbir, Ranveer, Varun: The stars who know the paps by name
Despite criticism of paparazzi culture, photographers can develop personal relationships with celebrities they encounter regularly.
Varun, whose name was changed, described Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor as particularly friendly. He said Ranbir sometimes stops to ask him about his family.
Vishal recalled an occasion when Varun Dhawan noticed that his phone had broken while he was following the actor for footage. Dhawan later invited him over and gifted him a replacement phone.
Zaheer Iqbal, he said, once noticed around 15 paparazzi waiting outside a cafe and sent coffee for them. Sonakshi Sinha, he added, has generally been cooperative and has even stopped her car to pose when photographers spot her.
Such relationships can become surprisingly informal.
Vishal said paparazzi sometimes give celebrities rides on their bikes. Celebrities may occasionally support photographers when disagreements arise. Over time, photographers become familiar faces rather than anonymous people behind cameras.
That familiarity can also make conflicts feel more personal.
Sonakshi Sinha, Jaya Bachchan and the question of boundaries
Sonakshi Sinha recently made headlines after appearing angry with paparazzi photographers. Varun, however, said the incident needs to be viewed in context.
He believes some newer paparazzi continue filming even after celebrities specifically ask them to stop. He said his own team generally avoids forcefully photographing people.
His description of Sonakshi differs considerably from the viral clip. According to him, she has generally been friendly with paparazzi and even coordinated with them around her wedding, informing photographers when she would come outside so they would not have to wait unnecessarily.
Jaya Bachchan presents another complicated case.
Her confrontations with photographers have become a familiar feature of celebrity culture. Varun said he does not entirely blame her, arguing that paparazzi can become noisy and intrusive, especially at funerals and prayer meetings.
At the same time, he acknowledged that some of her comments towards photographers go too far. An unusual development followed: Vishal and Ajay both said paparazzi had collectively decided to stop photographing her.
They claimed the decision came after pressure from her family and PR team following the circulation of videos showing her angry interactions with photographers. They also said paparazzi had received threats over the issue.
"Now, if we see her anywhere, we greet her with our phones and cameras down," they said.
This raises an uncomfortable question: if paparazzi can collectively choose not to photograph a celebrity, does that indicate that the industry has its own informal rules regarding who is considered off-limits?
Apparently, it does.
Jaya Bachchan (L) and Salman Khan (R) schooling paps (Photo: Video screenshots)
The hospital, the funeral and the content nobody wants to own
Paparazzi receive some of their harshest criticism when celebrities are photographed during moments of grief, illness or death. Varun, Ajay and Vishal argued that photographers are often blamed for the way such footage is subsequently presented online.
Vishal pointed to coverage surrounding Sushant Singh Rajput's death, saying paparazzi recorded material but did not themselves create many of the narratives that later spread across social media.
Similar debates arose after the deaths of Sidharth Shukla and Shefali Jariwala.
Vishal's defence is that other media organisations also cover funerals and public gatherings, while paparazzi are frequently singled out for doing so.
However, the line between recording an event and monetising it has become increasingly blurred on social media. A photographer may simply record footage, while another page crops it, adds a headline, selects an emotional thumbnail and turns it into viral content.
The person who records the footage and the person who creates the narrative are not necessarily the same.
When the camera becomes part of the controversy
The same debate has emerged around the practice of filming actresses from behind or from the side and asking viewers to identify them.
Paparazzi said such shots existed previously as well, but the newer trend is deliberately designed to maximise engagement. He claimed professional paparazzi generally avoid posting such material in an inappropriate manner themselves because they need to maintain relationships with celebrities they regularly encounter.
"Big agencies know that the content you mentioned will get them views," Ajay said.
His argument is that paparazzi provide the raw footage while social-media pages determine how it is ultimately presented.
Yet that distinction is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. Once a photographer knows that a particular angle is likely to be turned into sexualised or suggestive material, questions about where responsibility lies become more complicated.
The paparazzi business is no longer simply about taking photographs. It is about identifying which image is likely to perform.
Arhaan Khan, son of Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan, being friendly with paps (Photo: Yogen Shah)
The myth about star kids
Social media often portrays Bollywood's star kids as arrogant, inaccessible and uninterested in the photographers around them.
Vishal's experience is quite different.
He described the younger generation as "really sweet" and said many are cautious because their parents have warned them about being photographed and because they understand the abuse that can follow online.
He named Sohail Khan's son Nirvaan, Malaika Arora's son Arhaan and Agastya Nanda among those who have behaved politely with him. He also described Suhana Khan as down to earth in his interactions.
The larger issue, he believes, is fear.
"They are just a little bit scared as they have been pressured by their parents to not be papped, and they receive a lot of negativity," he said.
This may explain why some celebrity children appear uncomfortable around cameras. For a generation raised alongside paparazzi culture, being photographed is not necessarily a harmless aspect of fame. It can become a permanent digital record.
Paparazzi can wait five or six hours for a single photograph. They work 12-hour shifts, sometimes overnight, travel through Mumbai on bikes and continue despite heavy rain. Phones can malfunction, cameras can fog up, and food and water are not always readily available. Leaving a position even briefly can mean missing the celebrity they have spent hours waiting for.
"People think it is as simple as clicking pictures," Varun said. But the job, he added, involves exhaustion and its own set of risks. A paparazzo may spend an entire day pursuing a moment that ultimately lasts only three seconds.
Despite the complaints, controversies and uncertainty, there is also a strong attachment to the profession. Ajay and Varun both said they had become "too invested" in the business to imagine doing something else. For them, a successful day remains one in which their team captures good content.
It is easy to dismiss paparazzi as an intrusive group following celebrities around Mumbai. It is equally easy to assume that every photograph is the result of a carefully planned PR exercise. According to the photographers interviewed, the reality lies somewhere between the two.
There are PR calls as well as genuine catches. Some celebrities want to be seen, while others take elaborate steps to avoid cameras. There are informal agreements, legal notices, friendly relationships, collective bans and occasions when photographers cross boundaries. Underneath it all is a business driven by salaries, paid promotions, film marketing, social-media engagement and the constant demand for the next viral moment.
That is what makes the paparazzi economy so difficult to ignore. Bollywood is no longer selling only films, stars and glamour. It is also selling access — sometimes genuine, sometimes manufactured and sometimes carefully managed.
For audiences, it may simply be a celebrity leaving a gym, boarding a flight or getting into a car. For the paparazzi, it is a potential story. For the PR team, it is visibility. And for the social-media page, it is another opportunity for views.
