Indian film icon Shah Rukh Khan on Friday took Dhaka city by storm as more than 25,000 people watched him and fellow actors Rani Mukherjee and Arjun Rampal perform live at the Army stadium.
The ‘Shah Rukh Kahn Live in Dhaka’ show, organised by Antar Showbiz, began at around 8:00pm, nearly three hours behind schedule.
Many people who bought tickets, even the holders of ‘diamond tickets’ worth Tk 25,000 each, alleged that they did not get seats at the stadium to watch the show because of mismanagement.
They also alleged that the organisers sold tickets in excess of the seats and the people who had come earlier, occupied the seats.
As the start of the show was delayed, the audience began shouting and a few incidents of scuffles between security guards and spectators took place before the beginning of the show.
No seats were kept reserved for newsmen who were invited to cover the show.
‘We bought two diamond tickets but watched the show standing as the seats in front of the stage were occupied earlier,’ alleged Dalia Kamal, who went to enjoy the show along with her friend. The tickets they held bore numbers 1157 and 1158.
Another diamond ticket holder, Nazrul Islam, alleged that many like him were compelled to watch the show sitting on the ground. The organisers must have sold tickets in excess of the seats, he alleged.
According to organisers, Antar Showbiz sold four categories of tickets priced at Tk 25,000, Tk 10,000, Tk 5,000 and Tk 3,000 each and they were supposed to sell 12,000 tickets.
Talking to New Age, Swapan Chowdhury, chairman of Antar Showbiz, admitted that the number of spectators was more than the seats at the show and there were problems with seating arrangement.
The three-hour show ended at 11:00pm. Private TV channel Boishakhi broadcast the show live.
