Karan Johar, Anushka Sharma, Neetu Kapoor express anger over Alia Bhatt’s ‘invasion of privacy’

Alia on Tuesday called out a media organization for clicking and publishing pictures of her without her permission

Bollywood celebrities have expressed solidarity after Alia Bhatt called out a media organization for clicking and publishing pictures of her without her consent. Across social media, actors like Anushka Sharma, Janhvi Kapoor and Sushmita Sen re-shared Alia’s post and recounted facing similar incidents. Filmmaker Karan Johar and actor Arjun Kapoor also shared strongly-worded posts condemning the invasion of privacy.

Anushka Sharma wrote how the same organization had published pictures of her without her permission some years ago. “This is not the first time they are doing this. About two years ago, we called them out for the same reason. You’d think it would have made them more respectful of people’s space and privacy. Absolutely shameful. They were also the only guys posting photos of our daughter despite repeated requests,” Anushka wrote on Instagram Stories.

Slamming the breach of privacy, Alia’s Student of the Year director Karan Johar wrote, “There is no justification to this absolutely disgusting invasion of privacy. Everyone from the entertainment industry is always for the media and the paparazzi and are accommodating ... but there HAS to be a LIMIT.... This is about anyone’s right to feel safe in their own homes! This is not about actors or celebrities it’s a basic human right.”

Arjun Kapoor, who worked with Alia in the 2014 film 2 States, called it a ‘shameless’ act equivalent to stalking. “Absolutely shameless. This is crossing all limits if a woman isn’t feeling. Safe in her own home forget if she is a public. Figure or not for a second. Any sane person who takes photographs of public figures for a living needs to know that this is pathetic conduct and these are people in the media we have trusted and shown implicit faith in believing they are here to do a job not to make women feel unsafe or invade one’s privacy. This is nothing short of stalking,” Arjun wrote, tagging the Mumbai Police.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Alia shared a couple of paparazzi pictures of herself at her home. The Brahmastra and RRR actor said the pictures were clicked by two men perched on the neighbouring terrace. She wrote in the accompanying note, “Are you kidding me? I was at my house having a perfectly normal afternoon sitting in my living room when I felt something watching me.... I looked up and saw two men on the terrace of my neighbouring building with a camera right at me! In what world is this okay and allowed?”

 “This is a gross invasion of someone’s privacy and it’s safe to say all lines were crossed today! @mumbaipolice,” she added.

Janhvi Kapoor, recalling similar ordeals with the media house, wrote, “This is disgustingly intrusive. This publication has repeatedly done things like this. Including despite my continuous requests, photographed me unaware; inside the gym, I go to while working out through the glass door. In a space that is supposed to be private, where one does not anticipate to get photographed. I understand showing up to places, and in plain sight and doing your job. Where there is a mutual understanding of the job of the photographers, and the job and requirements of being a public figure. This stealthiness, zooming into someone’s private space without their consent or even awareness and calling it exclusive as if it’s a journalistic accomplishment is far from it.”