CAUGHT IN THE FLASH

With high-stakes chases, viral moments, and an evolving audience, India's paparazzi are no longer just capturing the stars – they're creating them

- PRATIKSHA ACHARYA

If we ever have to tip off the paparazzi about where our celebrity will be spotted, the first calls always go to the BIG 4,” reveals a PR executive when asked how the Indian paparazzi know the hottest celebrity hangouts. From the birth of Bollywood as we know it, the Indian paparazzi culture has thrived, creating a media frenzy around stars. Fast forward to today, the paparazzo has evolved into a relentless figure – camera in one hand, phone in the other, shouting into the void to grab a celebrity’s attention. From mispronouncing names to staging antics, they’ll stop at nothing to get that perfect shot. The spectacle reached new heights during the 2024 NMACC opening. The event saw stars like Tom Holland, Gigi Hadid, and Nick Jonas gracing the red carpet, but it was the paparazzi’s antics that stole the spotlight. Cries of “Ayy Tommy,” “Gigi ikde ikde, ujwi kadun,” and “Jijaji sharma gaye” turned into viral moments.

At the helm of this frenzy are the BIG 4: Yogen Shah, Viral Bhayani, Manav Manglani, and Varinder Chawla. These men lead teams of photographers who know celebrity routines better than the stars themselves. Yet, coaxing them to step in front of the camera was an entirely different ballgame. After a year of persuasion, navigating egos, and promises to faithfully convey their voices, three of the BIG 4 finally agreed to share their world with us.

MANAV MANGLANI