Karanvir Bohra recounts his eight-hour ordeal after he was detained at the Moscow airport for 'damaged passport'
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 31, 2019)

Television actor Karanvir Bohra had a bumpy start to his trip to Russia, where he was invited as the chief guest of the MacCoffee Bollywood Film Festival Russia 2019, which began on January 29 and will go on till February 3.

The actor, who landed at the Moscow international airport on Wednesday morning, was detained after a tear on his passport allegedly led officials to raise an alarm. Talking to mid-day from Moscow, the actor recounted the incident.

"The officials at the immigration desk checked my passport for almost 15 to 20 minutes. They concluded that my passport was damaged and that they would have to deport me. I was surprised as I had not faced any difficulties while leaving India or at the visa office," he said, adding that he then appraised the Indian Embassy and Russian Embassy of the situation by tweeting about it. "I also called the officials of the MacCoffee Bollywood Film Festival and informed them too."

Fortunately, the Ministry of External Affairs sprung into action and brought to a close Bohra's eight-hour ordeal. "I am thankful to honourable minister Sushma Swaraj and the officials as they intervened from India. After waiting here for almost eight hours, the Indian Embassy in Moscow issued a brand new temporary passport and visa to me."

The actor is expected to stay in Russia till the first week of February.