Kareena Kapoor gets mobbed at the airport: Celeb managers, security staff and paps say fans need to be respectful

The recent video of actor Kareena Kapoor Khan getting mobbed at the Mumbai airport has irked many. Though Khan, visibly uncomfortable, obliged for selfies despite people invading her personal space, the incident has shed light on fans’ insensitive behaviour.

“You can’t jump on anybody,” says Yusuf Ibrahim, security consultant to top Bollywood actors. Ask why Khan was spotted without any security and he says, “Many stars move around without security thinking fans won’t harm them; all they want is pictures. But, there’s a way to do so, respectfully.”

Celebrity staff also feel that these unfortunate incidents mostly occur when celebrities are caught off guard.

Talent manager Abhishek Thukral, who often travels with his actor clients, says, “At a place like Mumbai airport, which has crowd going in and out all day long, you don’t expect this. What happened with Kareena was not okay because you can’t invade someone’s personal space, but it was one those cases where the fans got over excited and tried to get too close. In such cases, even the actor’s team gets startled. Till the time they process what has happened, it gets late.”

Thukral goes on to explain that in a usual scenario, everyone in the actor’s team “including the security guards and others are well-briefed in terms of how to handle a situation like this”.

Addressing the point of airport security, PR consultant Prashant Golecha says, “Security at the airport is good enough but it’s a public place. Anyone can turn out to be a fan. You really can’t control that.” 

He adds, “In desperate need to get selfies, fans do go overboard, which I condemn, but we can’t complain about the pap or selfie culture because all of us are responsible for making it what it is. Actors don’t mind getting clicked as it’s considered to be the benchmark of fame, and fans want it to flaunt pics on social media. But, we all can try and make things easier for everyone.” 

Celebrity manager Prakhar Gaur says, “We have to remember that fans want a selfie or a minute of small talk because for them it means everything. Apart from just beefing up security, as managers and PRs, we should be the thread tying the celebrity and fans together. Fans are humans too, all it takes is a little bit of talking. Ask them to step back politely, be patient, respect personal space, and the picture will happen. That’s the confidence and trust we as PRs have to build with the fans. This way it’s a double-ended win, the celebrity won’t get mobbed, and the fans go home happy getting what they want.”

Adding a perspective to this whole fan culture, paparazzi, too, have a thing to add.

Viral Bhayani, when asked what he thinks is the reason behind such unfortunate incidents, says it’s nothing but sheer disrespectful behaviour on part of the fans. “You can’t be starstruck to the extent that you cross the line of respect. The way fans mobbed Kareena was very disrespectful, and she was definitely affected because of the behaviour. Her face turned red. I don’t remember seeing her like that ever though so many fans gather outside her house every day.”

Bhayani wants people to understand that not every artiste is comfortable taking selfies, that too without permission. “For example, Kartik Aaryan is very friendly when it comes to taking selfies. However, that does not mean you can take him for granted and make him lose his calm. Fans need to be understanding of the fact that actors are humans as well. They will always oblige their fans’ request. All they are expecting in return is a little patience and respect,” he explains, urging artistes as well to not be so nice that people start taking advantage.  

The viral video shows Kapoor handling the situation in the most dignified way, for which she earned praise on the internet. While another paparazzi Yogen Shah appreciated her for keeping calm, he warns fans of the repercussions.

“These celebrities talk to you, click pictures, and behave friendly because you are their fans. But fans who behave irrationally should understand that they are very powerful people — not just financially, but also in terms of contact. They don’t exhibit their power out of humbleness and let things go. But there will reach a saturation and when that happens, fans ke liye badi problem ho jayegi.”

Shah also points out the body language of these people and says he does not understand the motive behind this behaviour because it’s certainly not how fans behave. “In Kareena’s case, the way that man tried to chase her for the selfie and put his hand across her shoulder looked very off. If I want to click a picture with my favourite star, my body language will be different. I will stand with folded hands in a respectful manner.” 

Suggesting a solution, Shah says, “Instead of walking and getting clicked, stars should instead stand near the car for 15-20 seconds for the pictures and then move ahead with the security. This will help in preventing incidents like these.”

Another pap, on condition of anonymity, discusses the problem and provides a solution. He says, “Sometimes even the celebrities go overboard with their behaviour, which give people the liberty to behave in inappropriate ways. I frequently see how photographers flirt with the actors while clicking pictures and making videos. The tone is not right. I think wo mahol kharaab krta hai. That’s not the way to behave. Actors should not promote this kind of behaviour as people start taking them lightly and cross their line.”