I’m not okay with this kind of fanaticism: Virat Kohli calls out fan who broke into his hotel room

Indian batsman Virat Kohli lashed out at a fan who invaded his privacy during his T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. The cricketer, who was staying at a hotel in Perth, shared worrying details of how someone broke into his hotel suite and made a video of his room, adding how he isn't okay with his 'kind of fanaticism.'

Kohli's superstar wife, Anushka Sharma, too, called out the fan who entered her husband's room, terming it as "an absolute disgrace and violation of a human being". The two have always emphasised the need for respecting their privacy. 

"I understand that fans get very happy and excited seeing their favourite players and get excited to meet them and I’ve always appreciated that," he wrote on Instagram while sharing a video of the incident. "But this video here is appalling and it’s made me feel very paranoid about my privacy."

He added, "If I cannot have privacy in my own hotel room, then where can I really expect any personal space at all? I’m not okay with this kind of fanaticism and absolute invasion of privacy. Please respect people’s privacy and not treat them as a commodity for entertainment."

Sharma also shared her disappointment and wondered where one can draw the line in face of such behaviour. Sharing a screenshot of the video, the actor wrote, “Have experienced a few incidents where some fans have shown no compassion or grace in the past but this really is the worst thing."

Call for respecting privacy

The couple has been very vocal about Indian media and fans invading their privacy. They previously called out several publications that shared pictures of their two-year-old daughter, Vamika, without their consent. 

This year January, Vamika was seen on live camera cheering for her dad Kohli on his half-century at an India vs South Africa match. Screenshots from the broadcast were shared online and made viral despite the couple’s request not to photograph their daughter.

Following this, Sharma, on an Instagram Story, revealed how she was “caught off guard” and would appreciate it if her daughter’s privacy is respected for “reasons explained earlier.” When the pictures went viral, fans were quick to call out publications and accounts and asked them to delete the photos. However, some also questioned why the Sultan star wasn’t careful enough.

To this, Sharma and Kohli clarified that they did not mean for Vamika to be filmed and that their stance regarding their daughter’s exposure to media remains unchanged. 

“We realise that our daughter's images were captured at the stadium yesterday and widely shared thereafter," they had shared in a statement. "We want to inform everyone that we were caught off-guard and didn't know that the camera was on us. Our stance and request on the matter stay the same. We would really appreciate it if Vamika's images are not clicked and published for reasons we have explained earlier.”

Last year, the actor has posted a furious message on social media after pictures of her and her husband, sitting on their balcony, were posted online. 

She implied in her post that she had had discussions about such incidents already and was disappointed that they amounted to nothing, reported Hindustan Times. “Despite requesting the said photographer and the publication, they still continue to invade our privacy. Guys! Stop this right now!” she wrote on Instagram, attaching the picture the infamous picture.

In 2021, the couple penned a note of gratitude to media personnel for choosing not to publish pictures they captured of the family. “As parents, we seek privacy for our child and would like to do our best to give her a chance to live her life freely away from media and social media. As she is older, we cannot restrict her movement and hence your support is needed so kindly practice restraint in the matter,” the duo wrote in the note.

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