Katrina Kaif in a still from Tees Maar Khan
Paris:
If it hadn't been for Katrina Kaif's open letter, many would have missed those bikini photos altogether. Her public tantrum was a perfect publicity boost for those photographs. It's a classic case where a celebrity, who earns their living by selling their image, cries foul, when they feel a limit has been crossed. All depends on how high or low the threshold of that limit is. In Katrina's case, the threshold seems rather low. How prudent were Katrina and Ranbir in Ibiza, if they are so petrified of being photographed? It's not very clear which is making them more upset? Being seen together or being seen in beach wear? Ms Katrina's letter indicates no harassment, trespassing or pursuit. What then, is the fuss about? (Read: Katrina's open letter in The Times Of India)
It's a bit naive of Katrina to say that there should be "no reason for this furtive and invasive behaviour." It's like expecting fans to be infatuated to the exact degree that serves your publicity needs. Unfortunately, human curiosity is hard to curb. The photographer spotted a newsworthy figure and captured her on camera. Is that really "cowardice"?
It's always tough to draw a clear dividing line between the private and public when it comes to celebrities. In this case the picture was taken in Ibiza, Spain (where bikinis are banal) but published in India, where, for women, not "covering up" is a headache because of the prevailing sense of morality. Had Katrina ignored these photos, it would have been of great service to the cause of women who don't want to be ashamed of their bodies any longer. The photos in question hardly seem prurient. How is the photo of a girl walking in a bikini indecent? Is it not perfectly normal for her to go to the beach wearing a bikini? Is it a big deal that Katrina was on a holiday with her boyfriend?
Katrina accuses the media of "crossing all lines of privacy and decency." It seems however that this was a case of a private moment in a public area, which cannot be out of bounds for photographers. Anything a celebrity does in public view, can and will be photographed. Most celebrities voluntarily give up at least some of their rights to privacy. They accept that a certain level of public scrutiny goes hand in hand with fame. No one is saying it's easy to be a celebrity, or open up your your private life to scrutiny, but there is a certain price to pay for stardom. Sure, it has its limits. But in the case of these bikini photos, has the limit really been crossed?
Even in Spain, where these pictures were taken, and where the idea of "public space" is carefully defined by privacy laws, Katrina's accusations would have been brushed aside. The pictures don't seem damaging to her in any way. If she took this case to the courts, she would surely lose.
The problem with Bollywood stars, specially women, is that they suffer from a split personality syndrome. For some reason they want to be treated as "virtuous" in the orthodox sense of the word. That said, those saying Katrina cannot complain about privacy because she shows her skin in Bollywood numbers are wrong. Appearing scantily dressed on screen doesn't mean that a person loses any right over their body and image. But expecting the media to give up on a bit of harmless gossip is rather naive. Part of Katrina's indignation comes from the fact that her relationship has been revealed in public. Is that really a big deal?
Typically, stars play the dangerous game of thriving on media publicity (that they don't pay for) on the one hand, and accuse them of making commercial gains on the other. Granted that it can't be pleasant to find your holiday photos splashed all over Katrina. But would it help if we said you are both looking great and we hope you had a great time? And we didn't expect you to appear in a lehnga on the beach anyway.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this blog are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing on the blog do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
It's a bit naive of Katrina to say that there should be "no reason for this furtive and invasive behaviour." It's like expecting fans to be infatuated to the exact degree that serves your publicity needs. Unfortunately, human curiosity is hard to curb. The photographer spotted a newsworthy figure and captured her on camera. Is that really "cowardice"?
It's always tough to draw a clear dividing line between the private and public when it comes to celebrities. In this case the picture was taken in Ibiza, Spain (where bikinis are banal) but published in India, where, for women, not "covering up" is a headache because of the prevailing sense of morality. Had Katrina ignored these photos, it would have been of great service to the cause of women who don't want to be ashamed of their bodies any longer. The photos in question hardly seem prurient. How is the photo of a girl walking in a bikini indecent? Is it not perfectly normal for her to go to the beach wearing a bikini? Is it a big deal that Katrina was on a holiday with her boyfriend?
Katrina accuses the media of "crossing all lines of privacy and decency." It seems however that this was a case of a private moment in a public area, which cannot be out of bounds for photographers. Anything a celebrity does in public view, can and will be photographed. Most celebrities voluntarily give up at least some of their rights to privacy. They accept that a certain level of public scrutiny goes hand in hand with fame. No one is saying it's easy to be a celebrity, or open up your your private life to scrutiny, but there is a certain price to pay for stardom. Sure, it has its limits. But in the case of these bikini photos, has the limit really been crossed?
Even in Spain, where these pictures were taken, and where the idea of "public space" is carefully defined by privacy laws, Katrina's accusations would have been brushed aside. The pictures don't seem damaging to her in any way. If she took this case to the courts, she would surely lose.
The problem with Bollywood stars, specially women, is that they suffer from a split personality syndrome. For some reason they want to be treated as "virtuous" in the orthodox sense of the word. That said, those saying Katrina cannot complain about privacy because she shows her skin in Bollywood numbers are wrong. Appearing scantily dressed on screen doesn't mean that a person loses any right over their body and image. But expecting the media to give up on a bit of harmless gossip is rather naive. Part of Katrina's indignation comes from the fact that her relationship has been revealed in public. Is that really a big deal?
Typically, stars play the dangerous game of thriving on media publicity (that they don't pay for) on the one hand, and accuse them of making commercial gains on the other. Granted that it can't be pleasant to find your holiday photos splashed all over Katrina. But would it help if we said you are both looking great and we hope you had a great time? And we didn't expect you to appear in a lehnga on the beach anyway.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this blog are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing on the blog do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
