Thaindian News

By Subhash K. Jha
Mumbai, Nov 19 (IANS) A visit to Jaipur turned out to be rather a nightmare for director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, whose much talked-about film “Guzaarish” has just hit the screens.

On Wednesday, when he was waiting to board his flight back to Mumbai, freak rains created a situation so unique that Bhansali found himself in a strange situation.

“Though it was raining heavily, the Mumbai-Jaipur flight landed on time and we got ready to board the flight. But after the landing no passenger came out of the aircraft. The minutes ticked into hours. Still no sign of anyone emerging from the aircraft. We were told nothing. We just sat waiting for movement from the aircraft wondering if it was being held hostage,” said Bhansali.

Several hours after the scheduled departure time, it came to light that the passengers who had landed in Jaipur from Mumbai refused to deboard because it was raining and there was no bus to carry them to the terminal.

They finally de-boarded two hours after arrival. But then began the second-half of the drama - the passengers waiting at Jaipur refused to board the plane.

Recalling the harrowing incident, Bhansali said: “The passengers then started saying they won’t board in protest for the delay. One passenger even took out a video camera to record this freak delay for posterity. I was hiding in a corner. If I got captured on camera and the news channels got a hand on it, I’d become more famous then I wanted to be.”

The ground crew finally convinced the passengers to board.