Were the pictures of Sunny Deol and Dimple Kapadia together not taken intentionally? After all, who gave instructions to the media? Why were the personal lives of stars kept away from cameras in that period? How did photographers reach earlier to take pictures of Madhuri, Sridevi and Manisha Koirala? Many shocking secrets from the old era of Bollywood photography have now come to light.
In the era of social media and paparazzi culture, every small and big activity of the stars is captured on camera, but there was a time in Bollywood when celebs had control over their personal lives to a great extent. Senior celebrity photographer Ramakant Munde, in a recent conversation, has revealed the unspoken rules of the film industry which photographers used to follow. He told that instructions not to capture Sunny Deol and Dimple Kapadia together in photographs were common. He also told that at that time there was more demand for glamorous pictures and not for personal meetings of the stars.
Why didn’t photographers take pictures of Sunny Deol-Dimple Kapadia?
According to senior photographer Ramakant Munde, in those times there was a different kind of understanding between the media and the stars. He claimed that Sunny Deol and Dimple Kapadia were present on film sets, events or functions, but both did not like to be photographed together. Speaking to Hindi Rush, Munde said, “Many times both of them were at the same place, but they did not like to be photographed in the same frame. Everyone in the media knew this.”
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How did instructions come from Sunny Deol-Dimple Kapadia?
Ramakant Munde told that whenever there was information about the arrival of both the stars at any event, the photographers were informed in advance. According to him, “There was a message among the photographers that if both of them were together then the picture should not be taken. Usually a member of their team would come and tell or some indication would be given that the photo was not wanted.”
The era when there was no demand for pictures of personal life
Munde says that unlike today, at that time there was not much curiosity about the pictures of the personal lives of the stars. Media organizations also gave preference to glamorous and stylish photos instead of such photos. He said, “There was not that kind of demand. At that time, pictures with good dresses, jewellery, make-up and glamorous look were sold more. Publishers liked beautiful pictures.”
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Has social media changed the entire game of entertainment industry?
According to the photographer, entertainment media has completely changed after the advent of social media, smartphones and paparazzi pages. He said, “Today people want to know every aspect of a celebrity’s personal life. From airport looks to family outings and personal meetings, everything becomes a topic of discussion. But earlier it was not like this.”
Pictures of heroines were most in demand?
Ramakant Munde told that in those times the demand for photographs of actresses was more than that of actors. The reason for this was her style, costume and makeup. He said, “The heroes looked normal, but the costumes, make-up and styling of the heroines were very attractive. Their pictures were most in demand.” Munde told that as soon as the information about the shooting of big stars was received, the photographers used to reach the location much before the scheduled time. He said, “If we knew that Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala or Sridevi were shooting, we would reach at least half an hour or an hour earlier because there was a huge demand for their pictures.”