Bollywood actor Sunny Leone on Thursday brought Kochi to a standstill, as thousands of her fans poured into an arterial city road and its neighbourhood to catch a glimpse of the star.
The actor was in Kochi in connection with the opening of a new mobile phone store on MG Road in the heart of the city. People began gathering at the venue right from 8 a.m., leading to traffic snarls during the peak hours.
A few more hours into the day and the entire area was packed with her fans, forcing motorists to take diversions. Fans found places atop buses, hoardings and even on metro rail pillars to greet the actor.
As Sunny made her way onto the podium, loud cheers rent the air and chaos prevailed, as people tried to get photos on their camera phones. Playing up to the crowd, the actor flashed her best smiles at the fans and thanked them for their overwhelming support.
Police had a tough time as they tried to manage the crowd and traffic. At one point, police made repeated announcements to the crowd to clear the arterial road and make way for an ambulance that was on its way to a hospital. On other occasions, they cane-charged the crowd. Normal traffic flow along the road was restored by 2.30 p.m.
Sunny later posted pictures and videos of the crowd on Twitter and her Facebook pages. “No words…Can’t thank the people of Kochi [enough]. Was so overwhelmed by the love&support. Never will forget Gods own Country Kerala!,” she tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Ernakulam Central Police have registered a case against the management and staff of Fone4 Digital Hub, which organised the event, under Section 283 of the Indian Penal Code for causing danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation.
