The world premiere of filmmaker Prakash Jha's film Apaharan at the International Film Festival of India was marred by a fracas this evening after the director and filmstars Ajay Devgan and Bipasha Basu arrived an hour late for the screening.

The movie's premiere was scheduled to start at 6 pm, but the cast including director Prakash Jha, Ajay Devgan and Bipasha Basu walked in about 40 minutes late. Irate scribes and spectators vented their anger on the trio and the commotion only ended when Jha, Devgan and Basu apologised to the audience and left the auditorium and film's screening was started without the scheduled presentation.

The screening, already delayed by an hour, was started only to be interrupted after ten minutes when four persons were found filming the movie. The police in action soon, and everyone in possession of a camera was cleared out.

The high-profile premiere, seemed doomed from the start, with more than 500 people being given invitations in a 300-seat auditorium, which resulted in the hall being jampacked and many people with valid invites being turned away by organisers.

Many people had been waiting in line at the INOX multiples here since five in the evening for the movie which was scheduled to begin an hour later.

Confusion reigned supreme with mediapersons waiting in one auditorium for the stars of the film even as the celebrities were ushered into the adjoining hall which was screening the film simultaneously.

'Apaharan' is the story of a man's tumultuous and complex relationship with his father. The story of his dreams made and broken, the story of a life lost before it could be lived.

Talking to press after the screening, Jha rejected the criticism that the film will glorify the deed of kidnapping.

''The sensitive director like Prakash Jha will never let wrong signals get through his work because film is an effective medium of communication,'' he said. He did not agree that he played a negative character. ''There are grey areas in every person."

Bipasha Basu, who was the ''thali'' girl at the festival's inauguration, said working with Prakash Jha was a revelation. The actress was seen in glam roles in 'Barsaat', 'No Entry' this year.