Athiya Shetty & KL Rahul Ask Media to Avoid Clicking Baby’s Photos After Similar Requests by Other Celebrity Couples

Athiya Shetty and cricketer KL Rahul have officially requested that the media refrain from photographing their newborn daughter in public. The couple, who welcomed their first child on March 24, 2025, made this appeal around the same time that other high-profile Bollywood couples like Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh issued similar requests. They emphasized their desire for privacy as their daughter grows and begins interacting with the outside world.

What We Know

• The request is about more than just “no paparazzi”—Athiya and Rahul are asking specifically that their baby’s photos not be taken when she’s out in public.

• The couple’s message follows a trend of celebrity parents setting boundaries over their children’s privacy, especially in India where paparazzi culture is intense.

• Athiya Shetty’s father, actor Suniel Shetty, has also included public statements that Athiya will be stepping away from her Bollywood career to prioritize family and privacy post parenthood.

Why This Matters

This move is significant in several ways:

1. Privacy vs. Celebrity CultureIn India, it’s common for celebrity moments to be public property—airport arrivals, family outings, child photos. Asking media to avoid photographing a baby challenges that norm, hinting that celebrity status doesn’t eliminate the right to privacy.

2. Consistency in Celebrity BehaviorThe fact that several celebrity couples are now demanding media boundaries suggests a shifting standard. It points to growing awareness of the impact constant exposure has—on children, on families, and on mental wellbeing.

3. Media Ethics QuestionedThese requests don’t only affect celebrities—they raise questions about media responsibility. Should media outlets respect family privacy even when someone is public-figure famous? Where do we draw the line between public interest and intrusion?

Potential Points of Contention

• Enforceability: What happens when paparazzi ignore the request? Legal implications? Public pushback? Many past cases show such requests are honored more in spirit than strictly enforced.

• Celebrity Exposure vs. Public Demand: Fans often demand glimpses of celebrity children—photos, videos, stories. The desire for visibility can conflict with privacy. Some may accuse such requests of creating distance or being elitist.

• Authenticity vs. Image Control: Sometimes such statements are seen as protective, and sometimes as preemptive image-polishing. Skeptics might ask: is this request coming from genuine concern for the child, or part of a “media strategy”?

Final Thoughts

Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul’s request marks another moment where celebrity parents are asserting control over their children’s public image. It suggests an important shift: that even in the world of relentless media glare, there are boundaries people are asking to respect.

Whether this trend leads to stronger legal protections for children of public figures in India—or simply changes in public behaviour—remains to be seen. What is clear: privacy is becoming as valuable as publicity.