Remember Kiara Advani's leaf photoshoot for celebrity photographer Dabboo Ratnani's 2020 calendar? The picture had created a lot of buzz on social media. Now, Dabboo Ratnani has shed light on why those pictures stirred controversy in an interview with Siddharth Kannan. Dabboo said, “I think lockdown ke time pe sab ghar pe bethe the. [Everyone was sitting at home due to the lockdown.] Everybody was online at that time. The picture was released in 2020. Tab zada ho controversy ho gayi thi. [It caused quite a big controversy.] But, to be honest, maine us se far sexier photos kare hai [I have clicked far sexier photos than that], which have not got that controversy. Aur baaki bahut sare photographers ne bhi bahut sare alag type ke controversial shoot kiye, par itna zada discussion kabhi nahi hua photoshoot pe. [And many other photographers have also undertaken various controversial shoots, but there has never been such widespread discussion about a photoshoot as much as this one.]”
“And to be honest, Kiara Advani's picture was very aesthetically shot. It was not like ki in your face zada sexy tha. [It was not in your face kind of sexy] A lot is left to your imagination. I feel jo aap tease karte ho mind ko [The way you tease your mind], that pictures work more because it leaves a lot for your imagination. And I think, Kiara ko nobody had ever imagined doing a sexy picture. Kabir Singh had just released before that and then suddenly an avatar of Kiara in a really sexy picture. The timing jo mil gaya tha, vo time pe, [Because of the timing] that had made it extra controversial,” Dabboo Ratnani added.
In case you don't know about the photoshoot, check out Kiara Advani's picture below:
A section of people claimed that Kiara Advani's shot resembled a photoshoot by Marie Barsch. They accused Dabboo Ratnani of "plagiarism." Dabboo Ratnani took no time and dismissed these allegations. He revealed that he essentially "plagiarised" his own work by sharing a throwback picture from 2002 featuring Tabu posing behind foliage.
On Instagram, Dabboo wrote, "Beautiful Tabu for Dabboo Ratnani calendar 2002. This timeless and mesmerising shot of Tabu was taken in the year 2001 and it featured in my calendar in the year 2002. There's been a little noise about Kiara Advani 's breathtaking 2020 calendar shot with a leaf! Guess if I can reuse my camera, I can definitely repeat my own concept and if at all that doesn't go well with trolls, then I admit to plagiarising my own self. Huge Thanks to my friends who trust me. That's all that matters."
Take a look at Tabu's picture below:
Dabboo Ratnani has worked with several Bollywood celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, Vicky Kaushal, Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan, Parineeti Chopra, and Varun Dhawan.