AR Rahman's concert that took place in Chennai on September 10 has met with severe criticism from fans due to poor management. Fans who attended the music maestro's concert took to social media platform X and shared videos and their 'bizarre' experiences online.
Many concertgoers took to social media to express their disappointment, highlighting several issues. They complained about the low volume, making the performance barely audible for those away from the stage.
The overcrowding at the event led to panic attacks and anxiety among attendees, with many vowing never to attend another AR Rahman concert despite being passionate fans.
Reports also emerged of ticket holders being denied entry to the venue, and some fans even tore up their tickets in frustration. Due to the concert their was massive traffic jam, where fans complained of organisers selling tickets much beyond capacity.
Film trade analyst Manobala Vijayabalan shared a video of a disappointed fan tearing up their concert tickets, describing it as an "unforgettable event" and a "worst gift" from AR Rahman.
The discontent was so significant that the hashtag #ARRConcert began trending on social media, with people sharing their grievances about the event. Fans also reported fights and chaotic scenes during the concert.
Another fan criticised the concert's organisation, stating that it was "very badly organised" and a "waste of money and energy." She also mentioned that she felt stressed due to fights and disturbances at the event, in addition to poor sound quality.
One attendee who had purchased Gold tickets shared their distress, revealing that they were unable to ‘watch the show’ due to 'overcrowding' and ‘lack of space’ suggesting that the organisers over sold the tickets. Moreover, they demanded refund.
AR Rahman has now commented on the same. “Dearest Chennai Makkale, those of you who purchased tickets and weren’t able to enter owing to unfortunate circumstances, please do share a copy of your ticket purchase to arr4chennai@btos.in along with your grievances. Our team will respond asap," the maestro wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“some people call me G.O.A.T …………let me be the sacrificial goat this time for all of us to wake up ..let chennai’s live art flourish with a world class infrastructure,increase in tourism, efficient crowd management,traffic management ,refining audiences to follow rules ..creating a safe and surreal experience for children and women ..Triggering a cultural renaissance at chennai celebrating our deserving ,illuminated local and international talent !" he wrote on Instagram while sharing a screenshot of the tweet.