Massive throngs of people crowded the shopping mall hosting the multiplex. The masses clustered patiently, autograph books and camera-equipped phones well in place, jostling for optimum viewing positions.

And all this hours before the stars were even scheduled to arrive.

'When in India, arrive late' seems to be the celebrity mantra, and, to make sure the crowds stay pleased, a bevy of brightly bedecked dholakwallahs began bashing out typically Punjabi rhythms.

Aishwarya Rai, the last to arrive, with Gurinder Chadha.