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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nIn an era where paparazzi videos trend within minutes and celebrity sightings become instant content, the idea of a \u201ctypical workday\u201d no longer applies. For Mumbai\u2019s paparazzi, the day doesn\u2019t begin with a fixed routine or end with a clear sign-off. It starts early, stretches late into the night, and is dictated entirely by movement, instinct, and chance.\u201cThere is no fixed routine. The day starts early and ends late. You\u2019re constantly tracking movements, coordinating with people, waiting at locations, moving from one place to another. It\u2019s not just about clicking pictures \u2014 it\u2019s about being alert all the time,\u201d say paparazzi veterans Yogen Shah and Viral Bhayani, speaking to ETimes.From airports to film studios, gyms, restaurants, and residential lanes of Bandra, Andheri, Juhu, and beyond, paparazzi operate in a state of permanent readiness. Every location has its own rhythm. Airports offer predictability, events come with planning, but most celebrity appearances are unscheduled and fleeting.\u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as a \u2018typical\u2019 day,\u201d Bhayani explains. \u201cAirports are different, Bandra is different, Andheri is different, Juhu is different. Events have a separate team altogether because those are planned in advance. Most celebrity moments are spontaneous.\u201d<\/p>\n Contrary to popular belief, celebrities don\u2019t alert paparazzi before stepping out. There are no advance calls, no secret messages.\u201cNo actor calls us saying, \u2018I\u2019m coming, please click my photos.\u2019 If Virat Kohli<\/a> is coming, he\u2019s not going to phone me,\u201d Bhayani says. \u201cIf you\u2019re lucky and you spot them, you capture the moment naturally. That\u2019s how this profession works.\u201dThat unpredictability is both the thrill and the pressure. Miss a moment, and it\u2019s gone \u2014 possibly picked up by someone else or lost entirely. While events are pre-planned, everyday celebrity spotting depends heavily on awareness, intuition, and being in the right place at the right time.\u201cIt\u2019s a mix. Events are planned, but celebrity spotting is 90% luck and awareness,\u201d Bhayani adds. \u201cYou have to be alert all the time. If you miss a moment, it\u2019s gone forever.\u201d<\/p>\n The most misunderstood aspect of paparazzi culture is the balance between access and intrusion. For Yogen Shah, that line is non-negotiable.\u201cThat line is extremely important. I have legal knowledge of what I can click and what I cannot. Based on that, I take photographs,\u201d he says.He points out that celebrities are fully aware of the purpose behind a photograph or video \u2014 whether it\u2019s for social media, publication, or news coverage. The interaction, he insists, is professional on both sides.\u201cCelebrities may not know our names, but they recognise our faces and our cameras. They know we\u2019re professionals.\u201dThe real failure, according to Shah, is when a celebrity regrets consenting to being photographed.\u201cThe worst situation would be if later a celebrity feels, \u2018Why did I allow this? I shouldn\u2019t have.\u2019 That should never happen after seeing the final result.\u201d<\/p>\n There are moments when actors refuse to be clicked \u2014 and paparazzi say that\u2019s entirely acceptable.\u201cOf course. And that\u2019s completely human,\u201d Shah explains. \u201cIf a celebrity says, \u2018Not now, I\u2019m not comfortable,\u2019 we respect that.\u201dHe draws a simple analogy: just because someone declines once doesn\u2019t mean something is wrong.\u201cAt home, your mother serves food every day, but one day you may say, \u2018I\u2019m not hungry today.\u2019 That doesn\u2019t mean anything is wrong.\u201dAt the same time, Shah acknowledges the delicate balance media operates under.\u201cPublications involve hundreds of people. If everyone stops giving photos, the publication won\u2019t run. So there has to be balance and understanding on both sides.\u201dBhayani also stresses that boundaries are non-negotiable.\u201cYou must draw a line. If someone says no, you respect it. We don\u2019t boycott celebrities if they refuse. That\u2019s wrong,\u201d Bhayani says.For paparazzi, the job often continues even when the subject leaves. \u201cOur work is our religion. If someone wants to go home, they go. We stay. Because if the job doesn\u2019t get done, we can\u2019t sleep. This generation wants everything fast, but patience is everything in this field,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n Despite working with some of the most powerful names in the country for decades, Shah says disrespect is rare.\u201cYou meet people who are a thousand times bigger than you \u2014 in wealth, influence, fame \u2014 yet they never disrespect you.\u201dCelebrities, he notes, don\u2019t impose conditions while being photographed.\u201cNever. If they don\u2019t like something, they call politely through PR or message directly and say, \u2018I didn\u2019t like this part.\u2019 That\u2019s it. No shouting. No threats.\u201d<\/p>\n Yogen Shah\u2019s journey mirrors the evolution of entertainment journalism in India. He began as a freelancer with The Times of India in 1992, a time when the media landscape was far more limited.\u201cBack then, The Times of India was everything. There were no multiple branches. Everything happened in the CST building,\u201d he recalls.Bombay Times<\/a>\u2019 Page 3 didn\u2019t initially feature film photographs \u2014 that changed with Shah\u2019s work. Mumbai Mirror\u2019s first issue carried his images. ETimes, which began as a TV magazine, also featured his photographs in its early days.\u201cFor me, The Times of India is a temple,\u201d he says.Physically, paparazzi work is exhausting. Mentally, it\u2019s relentless.\u201cI can\u2019t exercise properly,\u201d Shah admits. \u201cMy trainer comes home and sits for hours because I keep getting calls. A workout meant for one hour takes five hours.\u201dThe mental load is heavier.\u201cOne shoot at 5 pm. Another at 6:30 pm. A photographer stuck in traffic. Missing one picture affects ten publications. That pressure never leaves your mind.\u201dDespite living cinema daily, Shah\u2019s relationship with movies remains deeply personal.\u201cWatching one film daily is my emotional food,\u201d he says.Unable to sit through theatrical screenings due to constant distractions, he built two theatres at home. Yet the excitement remains intact.\u201cEven today, I wake up thinking, \u2018I\u2019ll watch a movie today.\u2019 That childlike excitement keeps me alive.\u201d <\/p>\nSpontaneity over scheduling<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
The invisible contract: profession versus privacy<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
When celebrities say no<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
No tantrums, no threats<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Three decades behind the camera<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nFrom film rolls to digital overload: how the profession has evolved<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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