After the turbulent incidents that transpired during A R Rahman’s ‘Marakkuma Nenjam’ concert in Chennai on Sunday, law enforcement authorities have launched an inquiry into alleged mismanagement that resulted in overcrowding and significant traffic congestion on the East Coast Road, situated south of the city.
The concert, which attracted tens of thousands of attendees to the Adityaram Palace City venue, descended into a logistical quagmire. Numerous ticket-holders found themselves unable to gain access due to overcrowding, and there were also reports of women facing harassment.
On Monday, Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, Shankar Jiwal, instructed the Tambaram City Police Commissioner to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident. The DGP directed the Commissioner to delve into the reasons behind the overcrowding and traffic congestion, along with an evaluation of the overall preparations made by the event organizers. He also called for measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
A.R. Rahman took to social media, urging ticket holders who couldn’t attend due to mismanagement to share their grievances by sending a copy of their ticket purchase to, along with their complaints.
The chaos has led to allegations of inadequate planning against the event managers, ACTC Events.
Tambaram Police Commissioner A Amalraj stated that the police have initiated an inquiry. He mentioned that many people complained about the event’s management and how ticket-holders were denied entry. The Commissioner emphasized that organizers should have adhered to the venue’s capacity and made adequate parking arrangements. Regarding reports of harassment, he stated that the police had not yet received any formal complaints but would take action if such complaints were filed.
ACTC Events acknowledged the overwhelming response to the event but expressed regret for the overcrowding on social media.
An officer from the Tambaram City Police explained that the concert’s location, far from the city center, led to an influx of vehicles, exceeding the organizers’ expectations. Overselling of tickets and inadequate crowd management were cited as significant factors contributing to the chaos.
Many attendees, including those with expensive tickets, reported being unable to reach the venue due to distant parking and long entry queues.
The concert had already been rescheduled the previous month due to rain.