Veteran actress-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan is known for her often contentious relationship with the paparazzi. Despite being constantly followed by shutterbugs, she has made it clear on numerous occasions that she values her privacy and isn’t shy about expressing her discomfort. Over the years, the Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani star has had several memorable encounters with the paparazzi, ranging from stern looks to outright scolding. One such incident, from Diwali 2022, has recently resurfaced, drawing attention again.
During Diwali celebrations that year, the Bachchan family, led by Amitabh Bachchan, performed Lakshmi Puja at their iconic bungalow Pratiksha in Juhu, Mumbai. Joining the festivities was Jaya Bachchan, who had a tense moment with photographers stationed outside their home. In a video shared by Filmygyan on Instagram, Jaya can be seen confronting the paparazzi, calling them “intruders” and chasing them away for attempting to capture the family’s private Diwali rituals. Known for her candid approach, Jaya stepped out of the house, visibly upset, and questioned the use of flash by the photographers. Dressed in a printed white kurta, she remarked, “Kaise flash kar rahe hai aap (how are you using flash on your camera)?” before labeling them as “intruders.” In response, one of the individuals, presumably a paparazzo, can be heard asking for the cameras to be switched off.
Paparazzo Manav Manglani recently shared insights into why veteran actress Jaya Bachchan often reacts the way she does towards the media. In an interview with Aleena Dissects, Manav explained, “She is not used to so much media. During her days, there were hardly a few people, who would do it all very gently. Now, the media has massively increased… She doesn’t mind them when they are at a press conference or film premiere. She hates it when they spot her off-guard. She gets shocked, ‘How come so many people gathered here, we were just out for a dinner.’”
Manav also revealed that despite her well-known discomfort, Jaya Bachchan has moments of light-hearted interaction with the paparazzi. “Then she has her fun banters also. She suggests angles to the paps. ‘Yeh niche kaha photo le rahe ho, iss angle se lo (Why are you clicking photo from a low angle, shoot it from here). She is not media savvy. She was just used to four-five people from certain channels and that’s it,” Manav added, explaining that Jaya Bachchan has her own way of handling the media, saying, “Jaya Bachchan has her own funda.”
In a previous episode of the What The Hell Navya podcast, Jaya Bachchan openly discussed her disdain for paparazzi culture, making it clear that she finds it intrusive. “I hate it. I despise it. I despise the people who interfere in your personal life and fill their stomachs by selling those products. I hate it, I’m disgusted with such people. I always tell them, I say, ‘Aapko sharam nahi aati hai (Don’t you feel ashamed?)’,” she said.
Jaya also made a distinction between criticism of her professional work and the invasion of her personal life. “I feel very strongly and it’s not that it’s today, I felt it from day one. I don’t mind if you talk about my work. You say, ‘She’s a bad actor and she has done this film badly, she’s not looking nice’ because it’s visual media, don’t mind. But the rest I do mind,” she emphasized.
On the work front, Jaya Bachchan was most recently seen in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, where she portrayed Ranveer Singh’s grandmother.
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