Farah Khan Ali, daughter of Sanjay Khan and the late ZareenKhan, objected to the manner in which her mother’s funeral was covered. “It has been six days since my mother passed away, and instead of offering condolences, some people were more interested in questioning why she had a funeral,” she wrote on Instagram. Zarine Khan died on November 7 at the age of 81.
Farah also expressed concern over coverage of veteran actor Dharmendra’s recent hospitalisation, after a private family video from the hospital circulated online. “Dharam uncle is in the hospital and a private video of his family went viral. Have we become so insensitive? Don’t public figures also have families with feelings?” she wrote, adding that the relentless intrusion reflects a wider erosion of empathy.
Nikitin Dheer, who recently lost his father, actor Pankaj Dheer, echoed the sentiment. In his post, he said he had witnessed firsthand “how despicable” some paparazzi could be during moments of grief. “It doesn’t feel like you’re talking to humans; it feels like you’re surrounded by vultures,” he wrote. He also criticised the filming of actor Jeetendra, who slipped during Zarine Khan’s prayer meet, calling it an exploitation of vulnerability for online clicks.
Dheer further condemned the coverage of Dharmendra’s illness, saying the pursuit of views appeared to outweigh basic humanity. “Don’t make a spectacle of anyone at such a time,” he urged.
Actor Jackie Shroff, meanwhile, advised photographers at the airport to avoid filming people in distress, reminding them to balance reportage with sensitivity.
The reactions have revived an ongoing debate about media ethics, privacy, and the limits of celebrity coverage in moments of personal crisis.
.jpg)
