‘Do you think your ban will affect my stardom?

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who recently faced a paparazzi boycott, says photographers can refuse to click his pictures but they cannot ‘ban’ him as there's no such provision in the law. He has also questioned if it will actualy affect his stardom.

‘You (photographers) can say 'I don't want to click Salman's pictures', but can't  ban me as there is no provision in the law to ban anyone,’ the star said in a group interaction here.

‘If I pass by (somewhere), then I would like to see the whole fraternity (press photographers) to stand together and actually not take a picture of mine.  Whether it be my cycling pictures or pictures with my girlfriends, you will not get any pictures. Do you think your ban will affect my stardom?,’ he questioned. The matter snowballed into a controversy when at a recent promotional event for Salman's forthcoming film Kick  in Mumbai, camerapersons present there were mishandled by the superstar's bodyguards and security personnel. Following this, Salman told reporters that whoever wanted to stay could stay and others could leave. Salman is nonchalant about the matter.

‘They have all the right to take a stand and not take my pictures and I am happy, but it is also a sad story as every coin has two sides. They had banned me long time ago. I was very happy. I was so peaceful. Every 10 years, there are 10 or 12 (such) people who come, it does not work like that,’ he added.

Defending his bodyguards, the Bodyguard star said: ‘The problem is not us (stars). We come and stand there, you (media) have your equipment. You don’t need to come close when you can shoot from 50 ft. They come between the bodyguards and us, so the bodyguard's job is to stop them, like the photographers paid for the pictures, bodyguards get paid for  protecting us)’ Now the actor is contemplating on having personal photographers who will click his pictures and release them for his fans.