Yusuf Ibrahim is a security consultant who has handled countless Bollywood weddings. But do you know which one he found most challenging to manage? It was, in fact, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s wedding.
In an interview, Yusuf recalled the chaos when hundreds gathered at the couple’s Pali Hill residence to glimpse the wedding. He explained that over 350 media personnel were stationed outside the venue, making it incredibly difficult to manage the crowd. He described the wedding as “the toughest ever,” noting that at least 350 people from various media houses were there. Each company sent multiple reporters and fans outside the wedding venue. “Both roads leading to Pali Hill were filled with media and fans. It was so crowded that we had to manage guests’ cars from down the road, running after them,” he said. Adding to the complexity, the wedding guests were all celebrities, increasing the chaos. “Even the people living in the building were disturbed by the madness outside,” he told to Siddharth Kannan.
Yusuf explained how he organized his team to manage such a large crowd. “We had about 60 people working in each shift, with each shift lasting eight hours. We worked non-stop, round the clock,” he said. The venue only had one gate for entry and exit, making things even harder. Yusuf and his team had to escort all the guests through the crowded roads.
Yusuf also shared the steps he took to keep everything under control. “Half of my team was in uniform, while the other half wore plain clothes. This helped us keep an eye on everyone without making them feel uncomfortable,” he said. He added that his team kept him updated when the media planned to climb the venue’s walls. “We had to cover the walls to keep things in control,” he explained.
Yusuf mentioned that while he had known Alia Bhatt since her Student of the Year debut, he started working with Ranbir Kapoor only after Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. “They trust me with my work,” he concluded.
