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| Edited By: |Source: |Updated: Oct 24, 2010, 01:28 PM IST
“Can you please help me get out of this? I am suffocating. I cannot move!” pleaded a 70-year-old lady. She had come for the opening screening at the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) Film Festival and was one of the 100-odd delegates being pushed and shoved aside at the gates of PVR, Juhu, on Friday.
The screening of Social Network was stopped as the delegates inside the auditorium protested against the harsh treatment being metted out to most of them by the ushers.
“Come outside the theatre, we will sort you out our way. You really don’t know who I am. We have decided that those who have managed to get inside the auditorium will see the movie and the rest will have to go home. We are the organisers and we will decide how to run this festival. It doesn’t matter what you guys think,” said Neeraj Sharma of MAMI.
Terry from PVR had another reason: “We cannot bypass certain rules. We will have to start the show.”
“I am going to arrange for first-aid for those who injured themselves in the scuffle and we will allow everybody in,” Terry then announced, as the audience inside started clapping in appreciation.
The screening finally started again as some delegates sitting on aisle floor were still seen nursing bruises.
“Welcome to MAMI Film Festival,” somebody announced on the mike.
