Shooting outdoors in an uncontrolled environment can be tricky. But actor Emraan Hashmi and the unit of Jannat 2 had a trick up their sleeve when they were filming in heavily populated areas of the capital such as Chandni Chowk. On the first day, Emraan posed with fans and signed autographs,

keeping them happy. The crowd, however, very quickly managed to learn that ‘cut’ meant they could approach the star and ‘pack up’ was their cue to descend upon the start. Managing the mob became a tough task and escorting the actor to his van, parked a kilometre away, was a nightmare for the security guards.

Ask Emraan about his crowd-controlling ploy and he says, “It was very difficult to navigate through the crowd. So from day two, we decided that after our work was done, I would leave and five minutes later they would announce pack up on the mike for the rest of the unit and no one from the crowd would be wiser.”

The trick apart, Emraan praises the locals who were helpful through the shooting. “Security, not just for me, but the crew, the equipment and the works was quite an issue, especially while shooting a film like Jannat 2 in the bylanes of Chandni Chowk and Purani Delhi,” says the actor, adding that 10-15 guards were no match for the thousands who gathered around. “The place is always packed with people and we wouldn’t have managed to shoot without some help from the  locals. They would listen when asked to be quiet for a shot.”

Has the size of the crowd increased post his recent successes, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (2010) and The Dirty Picture (2011)?0 “Yes, the crowd has escalated. All actors love mobs and so do I. The more the people, the bigger the crowd, the better I feel, and the better it is for my ego,” says Emraan.