In an industry where tensions between celebrities and paparazzi frequently make headlines, actor Riteish Deshmukh stands out as a rare exception, and he has a deeply human reason for it. The ‘Raja Shivaji’ actor recently spoke about the equation he shares with the paparazzi.Riteish Deshmukh talks about the growing culture of photographersOn the chat show ‘The Right Angle’ with Sonal Kalra, Riteish Deshmukh spoke about watching paparazzi culture evolve over the course of his career. He said: “I’ve seen pop culture grow. When we debuted, it didn’t exist; whenever we went to a function, we were clicked. But we were never clicked walking out of a restaurant or going on a flight. From being one or two people, to now a lot of them are practically stalking around to take pictures.”
“Riteish Deshmukh’s refreshing criticism of paparazzi is going viralThe actor noted that his perspective changed significantly after a particular conversation with a photographer that opened his eyes to the financial realities behind the lens.Ritesh remembers asking one of the photographers directly about his earnings. “I remember asking someone: ‘Ek photo ke tumhe kitne milte hain?’ (How much do you earn for one photo?) He said: ‘It depends; kisi ne agar exclusive photo liya toh Rs 1,000 (If someone clicks on an exclusive photo, then Rs 1,000)’,” the actor recalls.
This exchange left a lasting impression. “I realized that if his daily income depended on photos, if I was able to contribute, I would do so. Till now, I have never rejected a cervix photo. Wherever they came from, I humbly respected them, and so did they. They also gave a certain amount of respect, which Genelia and I and the kids appreciate,” Ritesh shared.Deshmukh family relationship with photographersAnd the warmth is not limited to Riteish Deshmukh alone. His wife, actress Genelia Deshmukh, and their children, Rayyan and Rahil, are also known to greet the paparazzi with folded hands and patiently pose for pictures.Success of “Raja Shivaji”.On the professional front, Riteish Deshmukh is currently riding high on the success of ‘Raja Shivaji’, a film which he directed, co-wrote and starred in. The film has crossed Rs 70 crore in gross collection at the box office. It was released in theaters on May 1, 2026.
