Preity hushes up the media © Getty Images

Just the sight of Preity Zinta, who came out with Lalit Modi to make the latest announcements, sent the photographers into a frenzy. Cameras whirred, flashes went off without any signs of stopping. Modi requested them to stop after they had had enough so that he could go on with further announcements, but the photographers just wouldn’t stop. He finally lost his cool and threatened to not give any further updates, and that was when Zinta intervened.

“We have more rounds of bidding going on, so can you please co-operate?", she said. Then another “please” with a flashing smile. And as if she had turned off an imaginary switch, there was silence and Modi went on with his announcements peacefully.

Given the chaos out here, with about 200 (a conservative estimate) journalists in a cramped space fit for 75, it might not be such a bad idea to have Zinta accompany Modi every time and handle the media. It worked like a charm the last time.