Organisers of Neha Kakkar’s March 23 Melbourne concert on Friday said they are in “big debt” after the show and the singer should be making payments to them — a development that comes hours after Kakkar issued a statement slamming them for lapses in arrangements and anomalies in payment.
“The allegations are completely false,” one of the organisers said in a Facebook live session.
“We are in big debt after the show. She should be the one paying us… it was a mistake having her on board,” said a representative of Beats Production, the company that organised Kakkar’s show in Melbourne.
Neha on Thursday issued a statement accusing the organisers of running away with her payment, days after she was booed and heckled for arriving three hours late at the venue in Australia.
“The organisers ran away with my money and others too. My band was not even given food, hotel and even water,” wrote Neha, outlining the alleged mismanagement by the organisers of the show.
Kakkar also revealed that the sound vendor refused to run a sound check ahead of the concert as the organisers had not paid him. “We did not even know if the concert is happening because the organisers stopped picking my manager's calls because apparently they were running away from the sponsors and everyone,” wrote Kakkar.
Hours after Neha issued a statement on social media, the organisers vowed to “expose everybody” involved in the controversy. They claimed to furnish proof revealing the truth behind what really happened at Neha’s March 23 concert in Melbourne.
Earlier this week, Neha’s elder brother Tony also shared cryptic posts about mismanagement by show organisers, shortly after Neha faced backlash online for her alleged “unprofessionalism”.
“Suppose I invite you to my city for an event and take full responsibility for all arrangements - booking your hotel, car, airport pickup, and tickets. Now, imagine you arrive only to find that nothing has been booked. No car at the airport, no hotel reservation, and no tickets. In that situation, who is to blame,” wrote Tony on Instagram.
The organisers have, however, dismissed all claims made by Tony, adding that they had sent multiple cars to the airport for Neha’s pickup. The organisers maintained that the artiste arrived late to the venue. They added that they had arranged a double bedroom suite in a five-star hotel for Neha. Additionally, they claimed to have made arrangements for the singer’s lunch, breakfast and dinner.
The organisers added that they were with Neha and her crew throughout the show, and they did not “run away” with her money.
“It was a disaster show and there was a big loss,” concluded the organisers.
Videos of Kakkar crying and apologising to the audience at the March 23 concert went viral on social media earlier this week. The clips show Kakkar breaking down in tears and saying, “Guys, you are really sweet. You have been patient. Itni der se aap log wait kar rahe ho. I hate it, maine life mein kabhi kisi ko wait nahi karwaya hai. Aap itni der se wait kar rahe ho (You have been waiting for me for so long. I hate it, I have never made anyone wait in my life but you are waiting for me).”
However, her apology did not sit well with everyone. The viral video captures concertgoers expressing their frustration. One attendee can be heard shouting, “Go back. Rest in your hotel.” Another remarked, “This is not India, you’re in Australia.” A third added, “Very good acting! Yeh Indian Idol nahi hai. Bachchon ke saath nahi gaa rahi ho (This isn’t Indian Idol, you are not singing with the kids).”
