'Mahieka was simply walking down a staircase at a Bandra restaurant when paparazzi decided to capture her from an angle that no woman deserves to be photographed from.'
A furious Hardik Pandya has slammed photographers for invading his girlfriend Mahieka Sharma's privacy, saying a harmless night out was twisted into something disrespectful and demeaning.
The India all-rounder said he was deeply disappointed by what he called an invasion of privacy when images of Mahieka leaving a Mumbai restaurant went viral.
Sharing a strongly worded statement on Instagram, Hardik said while he understands the attention that comes with being a public figure, certain moments especially involving women should be treated with basic dignity.
'I understand that living in the public eye comes with attention and scrutiny, it's part of the life I've chosen. But today something happened that crossed a line,' Hardik said in his Instagram story.
'Mahieka was simply walking down a staircase at a Bandra restaurant when paparazzi decided to capture her from an angle that no woman deserves to be photographed from. A private moment was turned into cheap sensationalism.'
'This isn't about headlines or who clicked what, it's about basic respect. Women deserve dignity. Everyone deserves boundaries.'
'To the media brothers who work hard every day: I respect your hustle, and I always cooperate. But I'm requesting you all, please be a little more mindful. Not everything needs to be captured. Not every angle needs to be taken.'
'Let's keep some humanity in this game. Thank you.'
A video of photographers following Mahieka Sharma as she exited the Mumbai eatery circulated widely on Tuesday, with many fans speculating that this was the trigger for Hardik's post.
Hardik's public appeal came just as he prepares for his international comeback in the T20I series against South Africa.
The all-rounder had been out of action for nearly two months after suffering a quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup in September.
© 2025