New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) Sometimes pleading, sometimes shouting angrily, hundreds of people queued up to watch the Pakistani film "Khamosh Pani" in the Indian capital.
But most had to go back as the 482 seats at the auditorium in New Delhi's India Habitat Centre filled up within minutes Wednesday evening and organisers struggled to keep the crowd at bay.
"Please let us in," pleaded one woman, "please, please let us. We've been waiting for one and a half hours".
Among those who waited and had to return were former human resource development minister Murli Manohar Joshi and some of the cast and crew of the film directed by Sabiha Sumar.
"Khamosh Pani" won Sumar the Golden Leopard for best film, while Indian actress Kiron Kher, who plays the lead in the film, picked up the best actress prize at the Locarno film festival last year.
The film also won a host of other international awards, including best actress for Kher at the Cape Town World Film festival in November 2003.
Even Kher struggled to get her guests into the hall. Frantically pacing up and down, she tried to wave at her guests blurred in the massive crowd, even as organisers implored people to leave.
"Go away," said Neville Tuli, head of the sixth Osian Cinefan film festival, "the seats are all full. We can't do anything, please go away."
"We'll sit in the aisle," said one young man.
"I can't let you do that. It's a fire hazard," said Tuli.
Aruna Vasudev, who started the festival and is often called the grand old lady of Asian cinema, looked harried as a Sikh man followed her around, pestering for seats.
Finally, looking highly flustered, she yelled at him. He just scowled and continued to argue.
Angry quarrels broke out as the crowd pushed against the guards and rectangular tables placed together as barriers to prevent people from storming in.
Actress Aparna Sen, part of the jury for the 10-day festival, tried to get her guests in. Designer doyenne Ritu Kumar called out to friends stuck in the queue.
"This is stupid," said one man, "why didn't they organise this at a bigger auditorium? Why must we be put through such agony?"
Perhaps Indian film buffs here can draw solace from the promise of organisers to arrange an extra show of the Pakistani film.
