'Paparazzi are the star-makers': 'Garam Masala' actress Nikita Rawal supports the photographers amid Jaya Bachchan's statement

Recently in an interaction that has created a storm on social media, veteran actress and politician Jaya Bachchan had some scathing remarks against the paparazzi.

Without mincing words, the actress-politician said, "It is strange. I am the product of the media, but my relationship with the paparazzi is zero. 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. I have tremendous respect for such people."

Supporting the paparazzi, Akshay Kumar's Garam Masala co-star Nikita Rawal said, "I respect each individual and their hard work. No one will even recognise you or know you if paps are not there. Paps are star-makers."

Her statement underscores the often-overlooked reality of showbiz: visibility is currency, and photographers on the field -- sometimes working long hours under challenging conditions -- contribute significantly to building that visibility. Nikita's words echo a growing sentiment among artists who acknowledge that fame isn't created in isolation; it's a collaborative ecosystem.

Jaya Bachchan had also added, "These men outside wearing those drain pipe type pants with mobiles in their hands... they think that just because they have a mobile they can take your picture, and say what they want? And the kind of comments they pass? What kind of people are they? They are like rats."

Will the paparazzi boycott the actress?

A member of the paparazzi said, "It's unfortunate, what she said. Her grandson Agastya's film Ikkis is going to release, what if the paps don't come to cover the promotions. Amitabh ji comes outside his house every Sunday, no leading media covers it, it's us paps. Judging someone on the basis of their appearance, people who work tirelessly day and night... she might be of the opinion that we aren't 'media', but we are social media."