Hundreds of fans gathered to watch Bollywood actress and former Miss India Juhi Chawla officially open the first Al Adil Supermarket in Bahrain yesterday.

Al Adil Trading Company owner Dr Dhananjay Datar also flew in for the opening of the new outlet at the Yateem Centre in Manama.

Adil Trading, which began as a small grocery store in 1984, has turned into a major spice company that enjoys a presence across the GCC and beyond.

He said the UAE-based company had plans to open additional stores in Bahrain and also in Qatar.

The new branch in the Yateem Centre has a launch promotion and more than 100 items are being sold at half price.

Hundreds of fans gathered outside the centre to get a glimpse of the actress. Security guards were stationed at the entrances of the supermarket to control the crowd.

Most fans stayed back even after Chawla left, some pushing and kicking others to enter the facility.

"I was waiting in the crowd for two hours and many people were trying to get inside the market by pushing their way in," said a fan. "Men, women and children queued to see her," he added.-TradeArabia News Service