Actress Sapthami Gowda, widely recognized for her performance in Kantara, has spoken out against photographers and camerapersons for capturing female actors from inappropriate angles at public events. Taking to Instagram, she shared a note highlighting how unnecessary zoom-ins often shift the focus from their professional achievements to their bodies, raising concerns about respect and boundaries within the industry.
In her note, Sapthami began, “As women in the film industry, we stand together in addressing a recurring issue. Repeatedly, videos and photographs of female actors at public events are shot and circulated from inappropriate angles, with unnecessary zooms that focus on our bodies rather than our work. This behavior, carried out by a few individuals, is disrespectful and unacceptable.”
She added, “We are here for our craft. We are here for our cinema. We unequivocally condemn deliberate zoom-ins and inappropriate angles. They are clear violations of dignity and will not be normalized or tolerated. We expected those covering events to maintain professionalism, basic respect, and decency.”
She continued, “We stand united in setting this boundary. We stand in solidarity with every woman who has experienced this- and we will continue to support one another in demanding respect.”
Sapthami put the caption, ‘actors not objects’, on her note. Concluding the note, Sapthami urged journalists and media friends to come forward and show support in raising this issue.
She is not the first actor to address this concern. Previously, actors Janhvi Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Zareen Khan, Nora Fatehi, and Ayesha Khan have also spoken out about being objectified by paparazzi, pointing out how intrusive camera zoom-ins often focus unnecessarily on their bodies.
Sapthami began her acting journey with Popcorn Monkey Tiger, directed by Duniya Suri. She gained widespread recognition with her lead role in Kantara, helmed by Rishab Shetty. She later appeared in The Vaccine War, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, and the Kannada film Yuva. Most recently, she was seen in The Rise of Ashoka alongside Sathish Ninasam.
