Spycam: B'wood's latest fear

Camera-equipped mobiles or spy cameras -- the voyeur eye has glamour world running for cover, writes Hiren Kotwani.

Whoever said "The irony of science is that it uses man's best to do man's worst" probably knew the rapid progress cellular telephony would make.

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Though most men wouldn't really care, ask the women and they'll tell you about their fears whenever a camera-phone comes up in their presence. And if the woman is a celebrity or an actress, the thought gets more frightening.

The bygone year could well be the year of the MMS where clips of a few Bollywood actresses found their way on to thousands of mobile phones. Caught in compromising positions, fortunately for the ladies from tinsel town, the subjects in most of the clips were unarguably look-a-likes. But the girls suffered the consequences nonetheless.

Considering that one of the clips was shot with a spy camera in a hotel room made the actresses more suspicious of security in their hotel suites during outdoor schedules. The situation only worsens when they're shooting on a highway without even basic facilities.

Lara Datta says, "The thought itself is so scary. But one has to take all the precautions all the time. At any film function, you see so many people shooting on their cameraphones, though having security personnel around you can help avoid being shot on them."

About the facilities while shooting outdoors, she says, "The producers take care that basic facilities are provided. But then, every individual maintains a high level of caution in strange places."

Hairstylist Shobha (who's working with Juhi Chawla and Dia Mirza) thinks, "The entire MMS scandal is frightening. Before staying in a hotel room, I check it for the star. I tell the stars to switch off the lights, draw the curtains etc before changing. On an outdoor, the stars get ready at the hotel before reaching the location. If a change is necessary and makeup vans haven't been arranged for any reason, then we double check that the changing area is secluded, besides we also use umbrellas and bedsheets to cover up. I also suggest use of skin-toned body-suits if necessary."

Despite the caution, some actresses like Koena Mitra say that "the entire MMS controversy is disgusting. If a spy camera is used to shoot within a hotel room, what can one say or do? Though I carefully look over through the room to check if it is bugged, I really can't say. We have heard of reports where some hotel staff have indulged in using cameras to shoot everything that happens inside. It's really very strange and shocking, and the threat cannot be ignored or brushed aside. I tell my staff not to let any stranger loiter around my make-up room and van."

Echoing her fear, Celina Jaitley says, "There's certainly a fear psychosis after a string of MMS clippings made news. It's an act of perversion and immense disgust."

She too takes proper precautions, as she reveals, "I have my security men cordon of f the area around my make-up van/room because I don't want to be a victim of any such pervert act."

Both Koena and Celina feel that the "usage of camera phones is an invasion of privacy. Caution must be maintained even when one is on a holiday, because it's not just restricted to the shooting days".

If it's not the hotel staff and outsider, it could be an insider like a spot boy etc.

Vouching for the integrity of industry workers, Shobha asserts, "The people who've been working since ages wouldn't indulge in any such activity, though the very raw and new might be susceptible to playing dirty if bribed with a lot of money. As the stars have their favourite vans, their regular attendants guard the vans, especially when called for the shot. And if there's no one around, we lock the van when going for the shot."

Despite all the precautions and care, the apprehension remains nonetheless. But as of now, the question is 'who will bell the cat?'