Weeks after AR Rahman landed in controversy over his Chennai concert, Marakkuma Nenjam, which faced criticism from fans due to gross mismanagement, the Oscar-winning composer has once again grabbed headlines by locking horns with the Association of Surgeons of India (ASI). The issue arose when ASI reportedly filed a complaint against Rahman, alleging that although he had received Rs 29 lakh from the association for performing at its 78th annual conference in 2018, he failed to organise the concert and never returned the money. Rahman has now issued a legal notice to ASI, demanding Rs 10 crore as compensation for what he claims is defamation of his name and reputation, Times of India reported. Denying all the allegations, Rahman demanded that the association withdraw the complaint against him within three days. Issuing a four-page reply via his lawyer, Rahman stated he never entered into any contractual obligation with the association. “The amount claimed was never paid to me, but to a third party Senthilvelan and a group of companies of Senthilvelan. Knowing fully that the association has no money transaction with me, they have chosen to drag me into the controversy,” Rahman claimed, as reported by TOI. Rahman has also urged the association to tender a public apology and pay the compensation within 15 days. His Marakkuma Nenjam concert became a hot topic last month as thousands of fans, who arrived to watch the event, were stranded outside the venue. According to reports, the organisers failed to correctly direct the ticket holders through the entry points. Many fans, who had spent substantial sums on tickets, were unable to access the venue due to the excessive crowd size, sparking suspicions of ticket overselling. Taking full responsibility for this, the concert's organisers, ACTC Events, tendered an unconditional apology to all those who faced hardships. Amid criticisms, Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal directed the Tambaram City Police Commissioner to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident. The DGP asked the Commissioner to look into the reasons for the overcrowding and traffic congestion, and also into the overall arrangements made in connection with the event by the organisers. He also asked the Commissioner to take measures to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
