Star kids in the spotlight: Navigating privacy, pap culture, public fascination, and parental protection in Bollywood – Exclusive | – Times of India

We live in a time and age dominated by smartphones, social media, and paparazzi in their constant race to get exclusives. The paparazzi culture began in the 90s, earlier, it was only limited to movie sets, and high-profile weddings, but today amidst the rise of this culture, the privacy of celebrity kids’ has become a heated topic. Over the years several Bollywood celebs like Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli, and Alia Bhatt-Ranbir Kapoor made headlines for their unique approaches to dealing with the sensitive issue.
However, have we reached a balance? Here’s a look at the celebrity ecosystem, which strives to find a balance between the public’s curiosity about star kids and the celebrities’ urge to respect their privacy.
Power couple Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli advocate for privacy
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli became parents for the first time in 2021 when they welcomed their baby girl, Vamika. The fans and netizens were more than eager to catch a glimpse of Vamika; however, Anushka and Virat from the very start shared their decision to keep their baby girl away from the spotlight. They shared a heartfelt appeal on social media that read –
“We are deeply thankful to the Indian paparazzi and most of the media fraternity for not publishing pictures/videos of Vamika. As parents, our request to the few who carried the images/video will be to support us going forward.

We seek privacy for our child and would like to do our best to give her a chance to live her life freely away from media and social media. As she is older we cannot restrict her movement and hence your support is needed so kindly practice restraint in the matter. Special thank you to fan clubs and people of the internet for going out of your way to not post images. It was kind and highly mature of you.”
Later, Virat added to the statement by explaining that they don’t want their kid to be exposed to any form of social media until the child has a fair understanding of the platform. “We have decided as a couple to not expose our child to social media before she has an understanding of what social media is and can make her own choice,” read Virat’s statement.
Their request set the tone for a broader conversation about the rights of celebrity kids to grow up away from the public eye. Though on various occasions Vamika’s pictures were clicked by the paps, they made sure not to circulate them. They have the same request for their newborn Akaay.
However, in 2022, during a cricket match, Anushka was spotted with her daughter as she cheered for Virat from the stands, and then Vamika’s pictures made their way to the internet.
Speaking on the matter, one of the renowned paps Varinder Chawala told us, “We don’t understand the Vamika incident. Anushka and Virat asked us not to click her pictures. And then we see she is coming out in the stands carrying the baby. She should have known better if there would be cameras on her. It was telecast on international channels. After this, how can they expect the pictures to not be circulated?”
The demand is turning star kids into social media sensation
The Indian paparazzi culture thrives on candid shots of Bollywood stars and their families. Star kids like Taimur Ali Khan, Jeh Khan, and AbRam Khan, have become inadvertent public figures thanks to the camera lenses constantly panning on them. Fans eagerly consume content about these star kids, turning them into social media sensations even before they grasp their own identities.

While the fascination is understandable given their lineage, the ethical implications of subjecting children to such intense scrutiny remain questionable.
The pressure
“We do follow their [celebrity parents’] instructions but sometimes it’s the demand by our publications that brings us under pressure. We also know that if someone is clicking without permission it’s morally, ethically, and legally wrong,” said Delhi-based famous paparazzi Vallav Paliwal.
“But, if one does then our publications start demanding the same. It’s our bread and butter. So it’s high time we should stop this cat and rat game,” he added.
Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s balanced approach with Raha
“Since it’s an industry where both sides matter, so we tend to find an amicable solution,” shared Pallav Paliwal. An example of the same was noticed in Ranbir Kapoor and Alia’s approach to introducing Raha to the paps and the world. The stars, on multiple occasions, mentioned how Paps used to put their camera away on request and act most sweetly with Raha, giving her just love and wishes from the distance. Rambir-Alia wanted to expose their child to the pap culture in a very controlled environment and thus, on Christmas last year they decided to allow the press to click the pics of Raha officially. It was a big decision and Alia confessed that she was nervous before the big face reveal. However, later she understood Raha is only filling every heart with joy and she in return, is getting so many blessings.
Shedding some light on Ranbir and Alia’s approach, Vallav told us, “Ranbir Alia immediately post Raha’s birth called up a meeting, and showed Raha’s photos on mobile. Then they requested that she is too small, so please don’t click, whenever the right moment will be there, we will bring her.”

“Still, people captured her but her images were hidden by emojis as per Alia’s request. The game-changing moment happened on Christmas when they happily posed and showed Raha’s face,” he shared.
From the perspective of the parents
Sometimes, it is not about exposing the child to the world, and only about the parent instinct – the protective nature, the old school values. Recently Punjabi actress Rubina Bajwa and her husband Gurbaksh Singh Chahal embraced parenthood as they brought home their young lad Veer. The couple has been sharing pictures of the young one but with a heart or evil eye emoticon hiding the face of the baby. Speaking on the matter of kids’ privacy and exposure on social media, Gurbaksh told us, “I think it’s wonderful to share those big moments when your child is born and even smaller ones as they grow—you’re proud of what you’ve created. But Rubina and I are a bit old-school. We try not to overdo it and choose not to share their face. It’s our way of doing everything we can to protect the precious gift God gave us.”

“I think it’s simply our protective instincts as parents. We’re completely in love with our son and want to raise him with all the love and protection we can give,” he added.
The picture policy for celebrity kids reflects the evolving dynamics between privacy, public interest, and responsible parenting in Bollywood. Ultimately, the rights of these children to grow up in a nurturing, pressure-free environment must take precedence over fleeting public curiosity.