Behind the effortless glam lies a rehearsed reality — Bollywood’s visibility economy where spontaneity is staged

xAlia Bhatt in oversized sweatshirts. Deepika Padukone gliding through the Mumbai airport in coordinated athleisure. Shahid Kapoor’s monochrome gym looks, timed just right for golden-hour flashes. In today’s Bollywood, the most powerful moments of stardom unfold not on-screen — but outside cafés, gyms and terminals, where flashbulbs replace film lights. Every sighting is a story. Every pose, a post. Behind the illusion of spontaneity lies an industry that has mastered the art of being seen.

The cult of controlled candidness

In a recent interview, author and columnist Shobhaa De called out the curated chaos of Bollywood’s paparazzi ecosystem — one that trades authenticity for

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