Jaya Bachchan Faces Trouble, Paps To File Complaint With CINTAA

Photo agencies are uniting to file a formal complaint and consider boycotting the actress after she criticized their attire and conduct as “elitist” and insulting.

December 5, 2025: The ongoing feud between veteran actor Jaya Bachchan and the paparazzi community has escalated, with several leading photo agencies reportedly preparing to file a formal complaint with the Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) following her recent, scathing public remarks.

Speaking at the ‘We The Women’ event in Mumbai earlier this week, Bachchan expressed strong displeasure with photographers, criticizing their attire and perceived lack of manners: “Yeh gande gande pant pehen ke, mobile leke [aa jaate hai]… They think that because they have a mobile, they can take your picture, say what they want. The kind of comments they pass!”

Paparazzi Feel ‘Insulted’ and Consider Boycott

Bachchan’s comments, which many in the industry deemed “elitist,” have left the paparazzi community feeling deeply demeaned. Some agencies are now discussing a boycott of the senior actor.

• Manav Manglani, who runs an entertainment photo syndicate, told mid-day, “She doesn’t want to be clicked; we won’t click her. Jayaji is not someone who gets eyeballs anyway.”
• Leading photographer Varinder Chawla criticized the remarks as “uncalled for,” asserting, “It’s not okay for the privileged to insult those who are doing an honest day’s work.” Chawla emphasized the need for self-respect among photographers and suggested they should stop covering her.

Call for a Code of Conduct

Beyond the formal complaint, photographers are pushing for a constructive resolution. The agencies, in association with CINTAA, hope to establish a clear Code of Conduct governing the interaction between celebrities and the press.

Chawla admitted that the profession suffers from the actions of unregulated individuals and zealous fans posing as photographers, which leads to inappropriate incidents and tarnishes the industry’s reputation. “There is no unity among paps today; anyone with a camera gets clubbed with us and we get a bad name,” he added.

Viral Bhayani Weighs In

Leading paparazzo Viral Bhayani acknowledged that some of Bachchan’s concerns regarding disrespectful comments are “partially true” due to the field becoming unregulated with young, impatient entrants.

However, Bhayani strongly objected to Bachchan’s comments about the photographers’ attire and financial background. “What I didn’t like is Jayaji speaking about someone’s poverty… You can also not comment on someone’s attire. It’s not right to make such statements on clothes or someone’s appearance.”

The sentiment across the photography community is that while they respect boundaries—as demonstrated when they stopped clicking Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s daughter, Raha, upon request—they demand to be treated with respect as professionals.