In the high-stakes world of celebrity photography, where likes and views fuel the paparazzi economy, a sudden social media ban can feel like a catastrophe. This was the stark reality for prominent Bollywood photographer Varinder Chawla, who found his Instagram page suspended for three critical days. The reason? Posts celebrating India's Cricket World Cup victory. In a revealing podcast appearance, Chawla detailed his ordeal and the unexpected saviour who came to his aid: superstar Ranveer Singh.
The Three-Day Instagram Blackout
Appearing on Siddharth Kannan's podcast, Varinder Chawla opened up about the legal and professional hazards of running a major paparazzi page. He confirmed that trouble is frequent, but one incident left him particularly devastated. His Instagram account was suspended for a full 72 hours after his team posted videos of public celebrations following India's World Cup win.
"The entire nation was celebrating at that time," Chawla recalled, referencing the period which also coincided with Anant Ambani's wedding festivities. The atmosphere was electric, and his team captured the crowd's joy. Shortly after posting the content, he received a strike from Instagram, informing him his page was blocked. Upon checking his email, he discovered the complaint had originated from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
For Chawla, this was more than a temporary setback. "Your YouTube channel or page is like a shop for you... a livelihood," he explained emotionally. "It felt such that someone has set your shop on fire. I went mad during those three days... I was crying and wailing." He was baffled by the penalty, insisting he had committed no major mistake by sharing a moment of national pride.
Meta's Warning and a Desperate Search for Help
During the suspension, Chawla tried everything. He contacted Meta, Instagram's parent company, but was bound by their terms and conditions. The page remained frozen until the three-day period elapsed. However, the strike remained on his record. Meta issued a stern warning: one more strike would result in the permanent suspension of his page. "Even if you make the slightest mistake, your shop will be set on fire," Chawla recounted being told.
Facing this existential threat to his business, he sought a way to have the strike removed. Authorities informed him that only the ICC, as the complainant, could resolve the issue. After exhausting all conventional avenues and speaking to numerous contacts, Chawla made a desperate plea for help to someone he knew: Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh.
Ranveer Singh's Swift Intervention
Chawla, who stated he rarely asks for favours, reached out to the actor. Ranveer Singh's response was immediate and reassuring. "He said, 'Don't worry, I will do as much as I can'," Chawla shared. The actor and his team swiftly stepped in to mediate.
They facilitated a direct connection to Jay Shah, the Chairman of the ICC. Chawla was guided to send an explanatory email to Shah. The response from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and ICC was prompt. He received a call from Jay Shah's team, who clarified it was a minor issue and assured him they would fix it, cautioning him to be more careful in the future.
"Ranveer Singh, then Jay Shah… despite being such big people, they helped me," Chawla said gratefully. Within 15 days, the matter was fully resolved, and the strike was cleared. This incident highlights the precarious nature of digital content creation and the powerful impact of timely intervention, even from the upper echelons of Bollywood and cricket administration.
