News Special Reports Tamil Nadu

Different Venue, Different Organisers, Same Man, Same Problem: ARR Accused Of Putting Up Sh*tshows Milking His Fandom

September 12, 2023
The Commune

The Marakkuma Nenjam concert featuring renowned musician AR Rahman has prompted a look into past events featuring him. While the incidents occurred in different countries, the recurring theme of poor crowd management and unfulfilled expectations has left fans feeling betrayed.

In the instance of the concert on 10 September 2023 near Chennai, attendees experienced a series of issues, including a delayed start, not permitting ticket holders inside the venue, gross crowd mismanagement, lost children, panic attacks among attendees, suffocation, as well as molestation. 

The saga of letdowns began a decade ago when a similar concert took place in a different country. An X (Twitter) user Aruna narrated her traumatic experiences starting a decade ago. 

2014 – Malaysia & Singapore

AR Rahman was in Malaysia for his “Infinite Love” concert at Stadium Merdeka in 2014. The event was marred by rain, wet seats, and poor parking arrangements. This was also seen in Singapore the same year where the audience was seated in an open stadium and thanks to the rain, wet seats were the norm. Owing to the rain, the concert began late and the the performance, intended for primarily Tamil-speaking audiences, featured predominantly Hindi songs, adding to the frustration. The concert faced power failures, tech problems, and instruments getting wet due to the rain, resulting in a chaotic atmosphere. 

2016 – Malaysia 

Two years later, he held a Live In concert in Malaysia (2016) replicating the disappointing pattern from 2 years before at Bukit Jalil stadium. This time, concert-goers endured a drenching downpour, lightning, and thunder. The performance began five hours behind schedule, further aggravating the crowd. The organisers failed to inform the crowd of the delay or the reasons for it. Chaos ensued as people descended from upper levels to take over the front row seats, and the organisers seemingly disappeared. Singer Shaktishree’s attempts to calm the audience were met with criticism, as attendees grew increasingly frustrated. AR Rahman’s comments during the Malaysian concert added insult to injury, as he appeared to dismiss the audience’s resilience. The concert, condensed into a rushed affair, concluded around 12:30 AM without an apology or remorse from the artist.

To see a repeat of past events a decade later has caused old wounds to resurface for many fans who have travelled to different countries just to listen to him perform live. These incidents have left many fans disillusioned.

The X user Aruna expressed her deep disappointment at realising the artist she once idolised had no respect for his audience. The emotional turmoil of separating the music from the creator has proven challenging for devoted fans. The fan said that he has never apologised or made an effort to handle the situation if things went awry, but instead asked his singers like Shaktisree Gopalan to do some monkey balancing who she said was sent to handle the situation with a disheartening lack of empathy and an unapologetic attitude. Instead of offering an apology, she is said to have addressed the audience condescendingly, urging them to endure the circumstances without any acknowledgment of their frustrations. The fan also questioned the response given by AR Rahman on his X/Twitter handle where there is no sign of apology, empathy or even issuing a refund. She says she feels cheated as a Tamilian and has been stabbed in the back by the likes of ARR. 

Calls for apology, accountability, and issuing refunds have grown louder as concert-goers demand better treatment and respect from their favourite artists.

After posting a vague message on his X(Twitter) handle, he shared a screenshot of that post on his Instagram account, where he blatantly showcased a narcissistic stance, referring to himself as the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time). Instead of addressing fans’ expectations for a simple apology, AR Rahman has adopted a self-centered approach, offering mere lip service to his countless fans who underwent a traumatic night at the concert.

 

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A post shared by ARR (@arrahman)

Will AR Rahman apologise properly and treat his fans better or will he continue the what has now come to be known as “Scam 2023” model?

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