Bengaluru: The Bangalore International Film Festival suffered a major embarrassment on Tuesday after its special guest of honour, the renowned Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi whose films were to be showcased at the event, was denied entry into the country because he had no Indian visa on his passport.
Lufthansa Airlines which flew him in on Tuesday, 3.30 am, failed to detect the lack of a visa, and flew him back to Frankfurt, on the return flight. Airport authorities are set to file a notice against the airline, which normally has stringent guidelines in place at its airline hub, Frankfurt airport.
Why the Film fest failed to direct Zanussi to the Indian embassy to acquire a visa remains a mystery. India does not have visa on entry for Polish nationals. Alliance Francaise where a retrospective of Zanussi's films was to be held on Wednesday has cancelled the event.
Zanussi reportedly showed no emotion when passport officials refused to clear him even as the event organisers frantically tried to persuade immigration officials to let him come through.
