Fans and celebs: Where to draw the line

Recently, a fan of Aditya Roy Kapur got overwhelmed upon meeting him and tried to kiss the actor. Elsewhere, an emotional fan firmly held on to actor Kartik Aaryan as a security guard tried to pull her away. The internet was also abuzz with reports of a violent altercation between cricketer Prithvi Shaw and a fan. These are just a few of the many incidents that have sparked a debate about celebrities’ privacy being violated by fans who don’t want to miss out on meeting and getting photographed with their favourite stars

“Celebs are as much entitled to privacy as others are. The only problem is that their right to privacy gets violated more often than others,” says Dilip Cherian, Image Guru, adding, “We also prepare celebrities for ambush questioning. But the kind of physical violation of their air space is something that’s new and sadly, in India, it’s rampant and growing”.

For celebrities, meeting fans and receiving love is a bigger validation, but things go out of hand several times.

“It’s very important, at all times, for both the actor and the fan to be cognizant of the situation. While the actor needs to handle such instances with calmness and respect, it is equally important for fans to understand the boundaries and privacy of the stars. They are public figures but more importantly they are human,” says Radhika Nihalani, founder – Think Ink Communications and Think Talkies, with Aditya Roy Kapur and Kareena Kapoor Khan as her clients.

In the same vein, Mandvi Sharma, MD and CEO Tree-Shul Media Solutions (Publicist), adds, “Social media brought the public figures closer to their fans. However, on a lot of occasions things do get out of hand, which is where the pressure builds up on the security people and also the star”.

“We as publicists or managers have to find a balanced approach to make the fan understand in the utmost polite manner that a line is being crossed and they do need to back-off now. The way Aditya Roy Kapur handled the situation was perfect. Fans are always very sensitive, so without offending their love for the star one has to find a way to keep them at a distance in such situations. And trust me when I say this, situations like this happen more often than it is reported,” shares Sharma, whose agency manages stars such as Ranveer Singh and Jr Ntr.

Apart from fandom, it is the selfie obsession which is adding to the craze, as Cherian shares, “it is wannabes and faux influencer type people trying to farm easy likes on their social media. They need to understand that the line has to be drawn”.

“The situation has started to become tricky. It is because people want to show that they are close to an actor, which is why they want a selfie and try to touch a celebrity, or hug a celebrity. That is when things go out of control, and out of comfort for an artist,” asserts media coordinator Shailesh Giri, who looks after all big Bollywood events in Delhi.

When it comes to security, things are more difficult as an attempt to find a balanced approach of handling the things without offending anyone.

According to a source, it is important for the management to rework on the security plan. “For instance, 10-15 body guards work for Kartik Aaryan press conference, but for an outing in the mall, there should be more bodyguards. In fact, there is a need to have more female bouncers so that things can be handled when female fans cross their boundaries,” adds the insider.

Here, Yusuf Ibrahim, the security consultant for several celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Shah Rukh Khan, stresses that lines defining boundaries between a fan and a celebrity can never be drawn.

“It is tricky every time we move out. And every day comes with a lesson. We have to be very careful and attentive while on the job, and handle the situation accordingly. When it comes to boundaries, there can never be one because everyone comes with a different mindset and attitude. We can’t set a boundary for anyone nor will they be comfortable with it. They will act as soon as they get a chance. So, all we can do is be extra vigilant, and not let fans get a little too close to comfort for an actor,” Ibrahim ends.