Hi Partha,
I am just overhelmed at the way you guys are empathetic about my story. I thank
you very much for the help offered - really its a feeling of great happiness to
be a part of this group and to be sailing in the same boat.
Certainly, God has had better plans for me - I will try to attend any of his
future concerts lined up.
Actually, Balewadi stadium is way far from actual Pune city -in fact its on
Mumbai Pune expressway if I am correct. So, couldnt use hte option of going all
the way to Hotel and keeping my belongings.
Thanks again all,
Jai HO,
Ashok
--- On Tue, 2/6/09, partha sarathi <partha_sac...@yahoo.co.in> wrote:
From: partha sarathi <partha_sac...@yahoo.co.in>
Subject: Re: [arr] A tragic story of ARR fans at Pune Concert
To: arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, 2 June, 2009, 3:08 AM
Hi Ashok,
What Gomzy said was right. On all the tickets they have given instructions not
to carry all such things that you did. But here I have a question to all the
organizers and the security officers there are cam mobile phone and you don't
even bother about them.
Ashok, Infact I faced the same situation at calicut. I travelled all the way
from Hyderabad to Calicut only and only to see and talk to our ARRji but I was
only left to see and enjoy the concert which was just awesome. Even I had my
cam with me at the venue but then security officers had stopped me entering
with it. I have planned my trip in such a way that I checked into hotel which
is at walkable distance from the venue so I had a chance to go back and leave
my cam in the room.
Never mind, there is a scheduled concert in hyderabad somewhere in oct or nov
09. You are most welcome to my city and you can always take my help, if need
be. Just drop in an e-mail for any help in this regards.
Take care,
Bye
Regards
P'ARR'THA
--- On Mon, 1/6/09, Gomzy™ <gomtesh.upad...@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Gomzy™ <gomtesh.upad...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [arr] A tragic story of ARR fans at Pune Concert
To: arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, 1 June, 2009, 8:36 PM
If only you had read the instructions on the backside of the ticket.
On Sun, May 31, 2009 at 11:42 PM, <ashokpurohit09@ yahoo.in> wrote:
Hi all,
At 3.03 in the morning, I definitely need someone to listen to my story - at
the soonest before it burries me anymore with all the disappointment.
All through since my teenage when Roja came up – until today when the world
salutes the maestro for his contribution to Indian and world music, my liking
for ARR has only grown out of proportion. Day in and day out, just like you
all, I don’t remember a day when I gave ARR music a skip and now, it has become
a part of life , just like brushing, bathing and breathing.
Being a die hard fan of ARR since past 15 years or so, I am also a part of this
group for about 9-10 years now (earlier active through email IDs ashok100020,
ashokemail2003) . Guess, by now you are convinced of my crave of ARRs music
despite the fact that many people call me crazy for ARR
A month ago, when I got to know that ARR is in Pune for a concert, I had no
second thoughts about the concert, even though Mumbai Pune are not really that
close. It takes about 3..5 hours to travel to Pune. I am basically from Mumbai
suburbs and kept waiting for any ARR concert. I managed to spread the word
through every friend I had known so that nobody misses what they deserve to see
– for all of them who have been thriving this liking for his music all these
years..
Finally, two of my friends and me agreed to attend the ARR Pune concert. Now,
we checked the website, as all passes were available only in outlets in Pune.
We decided at once that we will reach Pune earlier on the day of the concert
and buy the passes from one of the outlets mentioned.
We checked the website again after a few days, still living and counting down
to our day of excitement. The website now said that passes can be bought online
via Credit/Debit card payment and will be home delivered – again, only within
limits of Pune and vicinity.
I requested my friend who in turn requested his friend in Pune to provide her
address to us so that we can book the passes and get it delivered at her Pune
address since the website said they deliver only in Pune. Story goes fine here
– the passes get delivered next day. We receive a call that she has received
the passes. The first things that I would do until 31st was look at the
calendar each morning, and count the number of days to 31st.
Fortunately, the girl who received the passes was also one of big ARR fans,
like all of us in this group. She bought a pass for herself and her brother
too.
I slipped in my Digicam, my friend packed his Binocs and 12 mp cam and the
third friend did not carry anything. Everything is hunky dory and we headed to
Pune.
We reached Pune concert venue before time through. Balewadi stadium, for
everybody’s info is not really in proper city limits. It takes quite a bit of
time, and sorry, but good money for the rickshaw to reach the stadium. But I
wouldn’t blame anyone for it – probably that was the best place that the
organizers thought of arranging the concert for our dear ARR, And frankly,
nothing really mattered for us to watch ARR concert at any cost.
Serpentine line and amazing huge crowd already waited there, vouching for the
fact that arr fans are omnipresent. . Initially, there was only one queue. But
as clock started ticking faster to 6 O clock, they opened one more line on the
left side of main entrance. There was a separate entry gate for VVIPs of
course. My friend’s friend met us at planned place to hand over the passes.
Sheer joy and anxiety ran through my nerves – yes! I am here.
Wasting no further time, we went ahead in one of the queues, the shorter one
practically. Our turn came for the first check and yes, WE WERE STOPPED – no
camera’s allowed in there.
Well, no problems, we will not take the cameras, then where do we keep it?
“Keep it in our vehicle, we are not allowing anyone to carry cam in there – no
binoculars too..” said the security guy
“Listen, we have come thru public transport and not in our own vehicle and have
no place to keep our stuff i.e. cam and Binocs. Can you provide us a locker or
something that can we take it back after the concert please?”
“No, there are no lockers – keep your stuff anywhere, but you cannot go in with
this stuff”
As we tried to convince the sec staff, he had no answer and took us to his
senior, actually an inspector or so.
We explained him the case and he had no solution. We even told him we have come
all the way from 3 corners of Mumbai only to attend ARR concert that we have
been waiting for a month now.
He rudely replied that people come from Mumbai with laptops, cameras etc. We
can’t help. You can’t go in – and pulled us out of the queue.
Now, as a matter of fact, our cams 2 together costed about 40000 bucks – leave
alone the binocs..I had no clue if I could risk it with the cops out there ;
nope. But ARR fever was higher , so we tried to persuade the cops if they could
keep it for the time of the concert and we can collect it later. NOPES…they
cared the least.
We needed someone or someplace to take care of our Binocs and cam for about the
time of the concert.
Now our blood pressure went up – thinking of what to do. We tried calling the
friends’ friend who gave us the ticket – as she had come in her car with her
brother and friends. She said she was too inside to come out – and the car keys
are with her brother. She tried calling her brother who may find a way out.
In the next 25 minutes we called her more than times, only to be dismayed
that her brothers’ number is not reachable.
Balewadi was about more than 40 mins away from the hotel where we checked in –
close to Pune station. A journey back to hotel and back to concert would be
impracticable - for it would be too late –and expensive too…
We called every Pune number possible – for the limited number of friends we
have in Pune – at least 4 numbers. Nothing seemed to work –either they were out
of city or were located too far to come to the concert gate and collect our
cams and Binocs, so that we could go in.
Now, there was only one solution – practical, but meant a lot to each of us.
That one of us three decides to stay out keeping all the stuff of cam and
Binocs and the other two can walk in. We are good friends of course, so started
offering ourselves to be the one who wou8ld miss the concert, so nothing really
got decided. We agreed that if we go, we all go, or else nobody goes in.
At the same time, we could see a few people hovering around us to see if we are
not going in , can they get the passes. There were two guys who asked us if we
will be interested in selling out the passes to them. We had 3 passes, but even
after 7 O clock, we had some hopes that we could go in . NOPES. Nothing really
worked. In the end, where the sun set on our left, my heart sank with a feeling
that I could only see the cake, but couldn’t have it.
Having tried hard enough, we reached the entry, but are denied access, just
bcos we got our personal cam and have no provision to keep it anywhere else?
My heart froze – all my life where I dreamt of attending his concert, if it
happened, it happened this way?
We sold out the tickets to two guys who were waiting for our decision. One
month’s long journey came to a tragic end. IN about 5 minutes, another guy who
could make out from our faces that something terrible happened to us, asked if
he could get a pass if we are not getting in . Yes, we had one pass left (out
of 3, two were sold to those two guys already). We gave it to him – he was
ecstatic, and took no time to enter the gate.
Now it’s difficult to leave the place, when u know your dream shattered in last
one hour. You'd at least like to listen all that is possible . We followed to
the main road and on the left turn, got closer to the stadium boundary where we
could very clearly listen all the songs. There must be odd souls there for
'free' listening. Again, the hawaldars in all their sheer wisdom shove everyone
out. (even hit a man with lathi) Probably, nobody deserved it.
A few points to ponder upon:
1. What worse can ever happen to ARR fans to travel all the way from Mumbai
to Pune and be denied entry on ground of cam not allowed – did the show
organizers ever care to think where are those guys going to manage to keep the
stuff which is again expensive?
2. Did not the show organizers think for second if putting a note in the
website itself that no cam or Binocs will be allowed during the concert - I am
sure they were aware of this stuff long before and no last minute announcement
is made in such decisions. The shrieking voice of the lady in her vernacular
language is still piercing my ears – she repeatedly kept announcing that cam
and Binocs are not allowed
3. Could they not arrange for a few lockers for those unfortunate souls who
came with cams or Binocs? I am sure this was no small concert and such things
are well planned
I have no clue whether ARR is aware of how his fans are treated outside the
concert – esp. those who are victims of stupid last minute rules that were not
made visible on website or any other media. All my efforts to reach and make it
to the concert flashed before me many times. We were 3 dejected souls yesterday
evening and I kept blaming the show organizers for their unprofessionalism.
But, I will still remain a big ARR fan. Will definitely attend the concert next
time without Cam and Binocs, even if the organizers don’t care to be careful
enough on their side. Just hope this tragedy does not happen with anyone else!
Jai Ho ARR
Ashok
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