Mumbai, the hub of Bollywood, has been hit hard by the second wave of Coronavirus forcing a host of restrictions and shutdown of shoots till April 30. And among the worst affected will be the paparazzi. With no events or award shows likely, or even shoots and celeb spottings outside airports, gyms and hotels, it’s not going to be easy for them to cope with the resurgence of the pandemic.

Viral Bhayani, a popular pap photographer, admits the situation is the same as 2020. “It was getting better with people used to coming out. I’m not dependent on this career, you’ve to keep your options open. Last year I decided to discontinue the whole team as supporting 18 families isn’t an easy job. Then I let it be. I’m looking at different careers and possibilities to make money, so I can sustain these families,” he says.

The demand for the regular gym and airport photos, they say, has gone down in current times. He adds contestants of the reality show Bigg Boss do generate a buzz. “Pictures of the rest of the artistes, nobody wants to buy. Just the stepping out content itself isn’t very interesting for people. They want engaging content, conversations about current issues,” Bhayani adds.

Manav Manglani, another well-known photographer, concurs. “Our main work is movie promotions or red carpet events, which magazines and channels look forward to. But there were hardly any film promotions, no big ticket events like fashion weeks. It’s back to square one,” he rues.

While last year a string of celebs came forward to help the paparazzi, this time there’s no such help so far, says Manglani. However, the fraternity believes work won’t come to a full stop. “We’re done with gym pics, so every month I have different themes. Whatever is happening, my content also revolves around that,” shares Bhayani.