Udhayanidhi Stalin on mismanagement at AR Rahman's Chennai concert: I didn't go...

AR Rahman’s Marakkumma Nenjam concert which was held in Chennai on Sunday ended up garnering a lot of attention for unexpected reasons. Recently, film producer and Tamil Nadu Sports Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin, commented on the singer's poorly organised concert, which resulted in alleged instances of sexual harassment, traffic jams, and emotional distress among ticket holders. The politician shared his thoughts on the matter during an event.

4 things you need to know

• The Marakkumma Nenjam concert was held at Adityaram Palace in Chennai, with over 50,000 people in attendance.
• Concert organisers obtained permission for only 20,000 people but sold 41,000 tickets.
• Rahman addressed the issue on social media and wrote, "I'm terribly disturbed and accountable for what happened."
• Udhayanidhi Stalin collaborated with Rahman for his last film, Maamannan. 

'I didn’t go to the AR Rahman concert'

Udhayanidhi Stalin said that he did not attend the AR Rahman concert but had seen reports of the event on social media. He explained that the incidents that occurred were likely due to a last-minute rush. He also mentioned that actions had been taken against the police officials involved. The minister emphasised the importance of preventing such incidents in the future and stated that efforts would be made to identify the actual reasons behind the unfortunate incident and take appropriate action against those responsible.

"I didn’t go to the AR Rahman concert. Like you, I also watched it on social media. Actions have been taken against Police officials. A last-minute rush is said to be the reason for that. We have to avoid such incidents in the future. A few people are waiting for reasons to criticise AR Rahman. Tamil Nadu Government will find out the real reason behind the untoward incident and take action against the respective person," he told ANI. 

AR Rahman's response and organiser's apology

AR Rahman responded to the situation by instructing ticket holders to reach out to the event organiser for ticket refunds and to address any other grievances they might have. 

(AR Rahman apologised to concertgoers for the unfortunate incident | Image: X)

Hemanth Raja, the founder, and CEO of ACTC Events, the company responsible for organising the concert, offered an unconditional apology to the fans. He accepted full responsibility for the shortcomings and expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to attendees. Raja urged fans not to blame AR Rahman for the issues that arose during the event.

(Event organisers also apologised to the audience for mismanagement at the concert | Image: X)

What happened at the concert? 

The concert, titled Marakkuma Nenjam, was AR Rahman's first performance in Chennai in five years and was scheduled to take place on East Coast Road on September 10. Many ticket holders raised concerns about the event's poor organisation, which led to chaotic situations. The Tambaram Police Department is currently investigating the incident.