How Mumbai beggars alert photographers on Bollywood celebrities' location

They are the ones who help celebs go viral online and gain traction on social media. Although paparazzos mostly operate in subterfuge and are shown as nameless journalists who chase celebs for a candid shot, most of them are actually hired by stars to curate the perfect viral moment online! Despite looking organic, most of the pictures and videos of celebs we get to see online are all carefully organised beforehand! No celeb sighting is coincidental.

Veteran Bollywood paparazzo Varinder Chawla recently conducted an Ask Me Anything session on the BollyBlindsGossip, a popular Bollywood-centric subreddit, where he spilled the beans on his work, as well as on B’town celebs.

Paparazzi Have Unlikely Accomplices

When asked how he came to know of the celebs whereabouts, Chawla revealed that he receives tip-offs from not just restaurant staff, but also beggars! “We follow the cars. We get tips from waiters at some big hotels and restaurants. And you will not believe, many beggars in Mumbai have the number of our staff who calls.” he wrote.

Chawla was also candid when quizzed on his most and least favourite celebs. “My all-time fav Ranveer Singh Ranbir Kapoor Deepika Kareena and least fav are Tapsee Pannu and Jaya Bachchan [sic],” he stated. Although Jaya Bachchan is well-known for her opposition to paparazzi and photographers, many were surprised by the inclusion of the Haseen Dilruba actress on the list.

He also revealed that pictures and videos of Kareena Kapoor’s son Taimur became more in demand, and many paparazzi hounded the child for videos and pictures. “The demand increased so much that we began following him 24/7. Whether he was going to school or tuition, we were there. We even followed him while he played. We were disturbing the child’s personal life. That’s when they requested us to avoid certain places like school and tuition,” he said.