MUMBAI: Seldom does it happen that an artiste is not paid in full before a concert, but goes ahead with the performance for fans. However, that is exactly what music composer duo Vishal Shekhar did on 14 June 2014, when they landed in Bengaluru for a concert.
According to a concert-goer, the crowd waited for over two hours to see the two perform. Despite not being paid the promised amount, the duo did turn up to the show, albeit late, and performed for the fans that waited patiently. The duo also plans to take a legal action against the Claret Sun Events, the organiser of the event.
Shekhar Ravjiani spoke to Radioandmusic.com’s Dhairya Ingle narrating the whole incident. “On 15 April, Claret Sun Events booked me and Vishal for a public show at White Orchids, and the event was to happen on 14 June. We were paid the advance and were supposed to receive the rest, along with service tax on the whole amount, upon arrival in Bengaluru. (Normally we leave Mumbai only after receiving the full amount, but the promoters PhaniShri and Sunil Kashyap begged and pleaded so we agreed). And when we arrived at the hotel we found that the rooms organised were extremely sub standard and not in accordance to the contact. There was also no trace of the remaining amount. Kashyap had disappeared and PhaniShri was making excuses while asking us to wait. In the evening we asked PhaniShri, point blank if she intended to pay us. But again she repeatedly requested us to wait and not announce their screw up. Not wanting to affect their careers and their reputation with sponsors, (Kingfisher and some others) we waited. Then we got a call from our crew at the venue saying that the crowd had been let in. we were still being told by PhiniShri to wait at the hotel (an hour away) and that she would organise the payment.”
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Shekhar went on to say, “After a couple of hours it was clear that she was still lying, so we decided that since this was not the fans’ fault we ought to perform for the crowd that had come for us at any cost. Vishal and Shekhar have always said that we owe everything to our fans and that we do our best to keep our commitments to them. Of course we apologised to the audience and told them the whole story exposing the lies of the promoters. Having done that (and despite it being a stellar show) we found all our flights cancelled in the morning. Luckily we had expected this and had made alternate arrangements at our own cost. We will now initiate legal action against Claret Sun Events, PhiniShri and Kashyap as they have caused damage to our reputation as well as cheated us. They have also not paid the service tax due and thus cheated the government too.”
Vishal also tweeted expressing his displeasure on the same. The event management company is yet to issue a statement from their side.
