‘MY KIDS AREN’T SOME KIND OF A PRODUCT’

Akshay Kumar doesn’t mind his kids getting clicked inadvertently by paparazzi, but says that he will never bring them in front of the camera on purpose

It goes without saying that new-age film stars are constantly in the limelight. In fact, paparazzi culture has turned out to be one of the biggest modern-day vagaries vis-à-vis Bollywood. Now though, the focus seems to have shifted a bit towards star kids such as Taimur Ali Khan, Suhana Khan, AbRam Khan and Laksshya Kapoor, among others. Akshay Kumar, whose daughter, Nitara, 6, and son, Aarav, 16, are constantly under the spotlight, admits that he would rather have none of it. “Mere bachchon ke bahut kam [paparazzi] photos aatein hai, but honestly speaking, I don’t like it [kids getting photographed] at all. That’s why I try and hide my children as much as possible,” he says.

Adding that he doesn’t have any “problem” with Aarav and Nitara getting clicked inadvertently, the superstar says he would never do it deliberately. “So, I will never bring my kids in front of the camera on purpose. I don’t want to turn them into products of sorts. But if we go out and photographers happen to spot us, they can take pictures,” says the Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017) actor, adding: “They click star kids because their pictures sell, and newspapers/magazines print them. They aren’t doing it just for fun but because they get money for it.”

At the same time, Akshay makes it clear that he doesn’t want photographers to be blamed for it. “I won’t say that they are ‘troubling’ anyone because they have their own reasons for clicking such pictures. And I can totally understand because they get paid for them. As far as I am concerned, I am personally all for it. In fact, I always readily pose for photographers and tell them to take good pictures,” he says, with a smile.

The Airlift (2016) star says he doesn’t get bothered about seeing his pictures printed [in the media]. “But if lens-men are making money, I am fine with it. I don’t know how much money they get [for pictures], but they work really hard and keep at it, even if it means standing [outside airports, restaurants or theatres] and waiting for a really long time,” he says.

In fact, on a lighter note, Akshay comes up with an interesting take on the entire thing. “I really don’t know how they get to know where stars or their family members are heading. I assume that they have some kind of a ‘setting’ (laughs), wherein they invest money and pay certain people to know about a star’s whereabouts,” he says.

AKSHAY KUMAR,Photographers click star kids because their pictures sell, and newspapers/ magazines print them. They aren’t doing it just for fun but because they get money for it.ACTOR