Kamal Ghorui
One of the cons of being a star or public figure is to visit crowded places, even during film promotions. One recalls several instances of actors being mobbed by crowds and stories of the chaos that was created. In a recent interview, celebrity bodyguard Yusuf Ibrahim, who frequently works with Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan and earlier used to work with Shah Rukh Khan, recalled one such overwhelming experience in Ajmer.Yusuf revealed that he and his team had accompanied Shah Rukh Khan to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on a Friday, considered the busiest day at the shrine. The visit quickly turned chaotic as crowds surged uncontrollably. He said in an interview with Screen, “There was only one event in my life that went out of control. We went to the Ajmer Sharif dargah with Shah Rukh Khan, on a Friday, around 12:30 pm. That’s the peak, it was Namaz time. And on Friday, at any given time, there are a lot of people in Ajmer because people come from all over India, plus the locals,” he said.
Despite police intervention, including a lathi charge, the situation remained difficult to manage. “We were literally pushed into the dargah and then pushed back to the car; we couldn’t walk by ourselves. So, nothing was in our control; there was also a lathi charge by the police. A lot was going on at that time. We just held Shah Rukh sir, we could not do much because the public was going wild and pushing.”Speaking about Shah Rukh Khan’s reaction afterward, Yusuf noted that the superstar remained unfazed. “He never said anything to me, didn’t scold or react angrily. He understands, he is habituated to it. He knows the love that people have for him; it can go to any level. He understands that and is very much used to it,” he concluded.
