Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan has once again become the centre of online discussion after her comments about paparazzi culture. Her remark about their clothes has triggered mixed reactions online, with filmmaker Ashoke Pandit openly criticising her and calling her a snob who demeaned another profession.

Ashoke Pandit questions Jaya Bachchan’s elitist tone

Ashoke Pandit, who is the president of the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association, reacted sharply to Jaya’s remarks. He shared a note on Instagram with the caption, “Not very parliamentarian, #JayaBachchan ji.”In his statement, he wrote,“Jaya Bachchan ji’s statement against the paparazzi reeks of snobbish elitism. To criticize the aggressive coverage of certain paps is one thing, but to demean the profession altogether, laced with downright classist remarks is unbecoming of such a senior member of our film industry and a parliamentarian.”

Ashoke Pandit says actors often call paparazzi

He further added that paparazzi are often invited by celebrities and their PR teams. His note continued, “They’re hardworking professionals doing their job, for which most times they’ve been called by the stars and their PR teams themselves. So if she has such a strong opinion against the paparazzi culture, it’s time to look inwards rather than indulge in this misplaced outrage.”

Social media reacts to Pandit’s criticism

Ashoke’s post received strong engagement. Many social media users supported his view, writing comments like “Absolutely” and “Very well said.”However, others came to Jaya Bachchan’s defence. One user wrote, “Before you write you should Watch IT very carefully What she said! And she is right . There should be a limit with paparazzi very much!!!!!”

What did Jaya Bachchan say about paparazzi?

During her interaction with Barkha Dutt at the ‘We The Women’ event, Jaya Bachchan openly spoke about her relationship with the media and paparazzi. She said, “You know, it’s very strange. My relationship with media is fantastic. I am the product of media. But my relationship with paparazzi is zero. Who are these people? Are they trained to be representing the people of this country? You call them media? I come from media. My father was a journalist. I have tremendous respect for such people.”She then criticised the way paparazzi present themselves and behave. She added, “But yeh jo bahar gande kapde, tight pant pehnke, hath mein mobile leke (they wear cheap tight pants and have a mobile in their hand), they think just because they have a mobile, they can take your picture and say what they want. And the kind of comments they pass! What kind of people are these people? Kahan se aate hain, kis tarah ka education hai? Kya background hai? They will represent us? Just because they can get through to YouTube or whatever social platform?”Jaya Bachchan has often shown her irritation with paparazzi at events and public appearances. Over the years, she has frequently expressed that she dislikes being photographed unexpectedly or without respect for her space.