Veteran celebrity photographer and paparazzo Ramakant Munde has opened up about the unwritten rules that existed in Bollywood long before the era of social media. Recalling one of the industry’s most talked-about relationships, Munde revealed that photographers were often instructed not to click pictures of Sunny Deol and Dimple Kapadia together.In a conversation with Hindi Rush, Munde spoke about how celebrity photography worked in the pre-paparazzi era and how certain stars preferred to keep their personal lives away from the public eye.
‘We knew not to photograph them together’
Talking about Sunny Deol and Dimple Kapadia, Munde said it was common knowledge among photographers that the two did not want to be photographed together.“Sometimes they would be together on a film set, at an event, or during a function. But they didn’t like getting photographed together. Everyone in the media knew this,” he said.According to Munde, photographers would often receive prior instructions when the two stars were present at the same location.“There was a message among photographers that if they were together, we shouldn’t take pictures. Usually someone from their team would come and tell us, or there would be a signal indicating that photographs were not wanted,” he recalled.
‘The demand for such pictures wasn’t what it is today’
Munde explained that unlike today’s paparazzi culture, candid photographs of celebrities’ personal lives were not considered highly valuable back then.“There wasn’t that kind of demand. What sold in those days were beautiful photographs—good costumes, jewellery, makeup and glamorous looks. Publishers preferred aesthetically pleasing pictures,” he said.The veteran photographer noted that the media landscape has changed significantly over the years.“Today, people are interested in every aspect of a celebrity’s personal life. But at that time, photographs of who was meeting whom didn’t have the same value,” he added.
Actresses were often the biggest attraction for photographers
Munde also reflected on how actresses often generated more excitement among photographers than actors because of the elaborate styling associated with their film appearances.“Heroes looked fairly normal, but heroines had beautiful costumes, makeup and styling. Their photographs were in huge demand,” he said.The photographer recalled receiving calls from producers and publicists informing him that leading stars such as Madhuri Dixit, Shilpa Shetty, Manisha Koirala or Sridevi were shooting.“If we were told that Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala or Sridevi were on set, we’d reach at least half an hour to an hour early because there was so much demand for their pictures,” he said.
