SHAHRUKH KHAN & a fag.....

This shot of ShahRukh Khan was taken a couple of weeks back at a press conference. At the time, photographers were told that we would have our chance to take pictures of the actor, director, etc after Q&A session. Now, if you've ever been to Asian press conferences, you know that things are never as promised most of the time. So, we took pictures during the Q&A Session. This was one of the shots taken at the time.
A week later, my journalist gets a call that this image should not have been used in the article because (and I'm going to paraphrase what was said!) "It gives a negative impression of Shah Rukh Khan to his fans because of his smoking!" Correct me if I've missed something here, but the dude pulls out a cigarette and lighter during a press conference, so he should know better. Once you come into the public domain of a press launch, your every move is under a microscope. Personally, It's not my business to hound you during your private life. However, if we the press have been invited to take pictures during a pre-arranged gathering, well, that's another story. I'm sure Mr.Khan knew what he was doing, or he would have used on of those Bollywood Trademark Punches and Kicks (with dramatic music!) to stop me from taking this shot.