Indian singer and music composer AR Rahman was stopped mid-performance during his live concert in Pune on Sunday by the police who walked onto the stage and asked him to stop the show. A video of the incident has gone viral on Twitter, where fans expressed their disappointment. Later, the Pune police issued a clarification stating that Rahman had exceeded the permissible time limit of 10 pm for the concert.
Reportedly, the interruption happened when Rahman was performing his hit track “Chaiyya Chaiyya,” and as he exceeded the time limit, he was asked to halt the show by the authorities. The incident was confirmed by news agency ANI in a tweet, which said that “Pune Police stopped music maestro AR Rahman from singing during his concert last night after he continued to perform beyond the permissible time of 10 pm.”
Smartana Patil, DCP Zone 2 of Pune Police, clarified that Rahman was singing his last song and was not aware that it was past 10 pm. The police official present at the venue conveyed the deadline to Rahman, and he stopped singing immediately after that.
On Monday, Rahman tweeted pictures from the Pune concert and thanked his fans for their love and support. He promised to return soon to sing for them again. He said, “Pune! Thank you for all the love and euphoria last night! Was such a roller coaster concert! No wonder Pune is home to so much classical music! We shall be back soon to sing with you all again!”
The live concert took place at the Raja Bahadur Mill area in Pune, with the timings from 8 pm to 10 pm. As the singer exceeded the time limit, he was also questioned by the officers. As per Lokmat Times, Rahman was asked why he continued to sing after 10 pm, following which he left the stage. The incident has raised questions about the strict time limits imposed on live concerts in India and their impact on artists and fans.