"Can only protect our kids to a certain extent," said Kajol (courtesy kajol)
New Delhi:
Actress Kajol, mother of a 14-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son, has spoken to mid-day about media photographers hounding the children of celebrities, calling it 'bullying' and 'harassment.' Cameras dogging an actor's steps is one thing, subjecting 'impressionable teenagers' to the unforgiving and relentless gaze is another, she said. Kajol, 42, is married to actor Ajay Devgn. They have a daughter named Nysa and a son named Yug. "We signed up for this, they didn't," Kajol, currently promoting her new film VIP 2, told mid-day.
Two young women have recently been photographed trying to shield themselves from the lensmen. Shah Rukh Khan's 17-year-old daughter Suhana and Shweta Bachchan Nanda's daughter Navya Naveli, 19, were both spotted out with friends, trying to hide from the cameras present. Sridevi's younger daughter Khushi has also been pictured at the airport covering her face. The incident involving Suhana prompted particular censure.
Kajol told mid-day that she would be furious if it were her kids. "If something like this were to happen with Nysa or Yug, I'd be infuriated. It's sad that the Indian paparazzi has reached a stage where it can do this to a kid. What happened with her sounds like bullying to me. We are stars; it's our job to accept all of that. But to be doing that to someone who is nothing more than an impressionable teenager, is harassing her in plain words. They should be more responsible when it comes to dealing with our kids," she said.
There's only so much that parents can do, Kajol told mid-day. "We can only protect our kids to a certain extent. I hope I have brought up my kids well enough to handle that pressure. They are born to stars and that is something they can't change. At the same time, I don't see the need to expose them unnecessarily," she said, adding, "Ajay and I are clear that our children need to have the liberty to make the choices that any regular kid their age can. Whether her (Nysa) choices involve being in the movies, is entirely her call."
Celebrity parents with younger children have formulated differing approaches to handling media attention. Rani Mukerji, whose daughter Adira is a little over a year-old, does not allow photographs. Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, however, don't seem to mind - they were just spotted at the airport with their adorable seven-month-old son Taimur, all three posing happily before boarding a flight to Switzerland. Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan's five-year-old daughter Aaradhya is now a familiar face. Nitara, Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna's little daughter, always has her back to the camera in pictures posted on her parents' social media accounts.
Two young women have recently been photographed trying to shield themselves from the lensmen. Shah Rukh Khan's 17-year-old daughter Suhana and Shweta Bachchan Nanda's daughter Navya Naveli, 19, were both spotted out with friends, trying to hide from the cameras present. Sridevi's younger daughter Khushi has also been pictured at the airport covering her face. The incident involving Suhana prompted particular censure.
Kajol told mid-day that she would be furious if it were her kids. "If something like this were to happen with Nysa or Yug, I'd be infuriated. It's sad that the Indian paparazzi has reached a stage where it can do this to a kid. What happened with her sounds like bullying to me. We are stars; it's our job to accept all of that. But to be doing that to someone who is nothing more than an impressionable teenager, is harassing her in plain words. They should be more responsible when it comes to dealing with our kids," she said.
There's only so much that parents can do, Kajol told mid-day. "We can only protect our kids to a certain extent. I hope I have brought up my kids well enough to handle that pressure. They are born to stars and that is something they can't change. At the same time, I don't see the need to expose them unnecessarily," she said, adding, "Ajay and I are clear that our children need to have the liberty to make the choices that any regular kid their age can. Whether her (Nysa) choices involve being in the movies, is entirely her call."
Celebrity parents with younger children have formulated differing approaches to handling media attention. Rani Mukerji, whose daughter Adira is a little over a year-old, does not allow photographs. Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, however, don't seem to mind - they were just spotted at the airport with their adorable seven-month-old son Taimur, all three posing happily before boarding a flight to Switzerland. Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan's five-year-old daughter Aaradhya is now a familiar face. Nitara, Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna's little daughter, always has her back to the camera in pictures posted on her parents' social media accounts.
