Neha Kakkar’s recent live concert in Melbourne has sparked a major controversy after she broke down on stage, having arrived three hours late for the show. The unprofessional delay left the audience restless, and they reportedly asked her to leave. However, she apologised and became emotional on stage over the inconvenience.
Later, she clarified that the organisers had not paid her team and had denied them basic necessities such as accommodation, meals, and drinking water.
Australian organisers react to the issue
However, the Australian organisers — Pace D and Bikram Singh Randhawa — have now come forward with a different version of events, casting doubt on Neha’s claims. Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, the two organisers stated that the singer had agreed to perform at two back-to-back events — one in Sydney and another in Melbourne — under the same production company.
They shared that the Sydney leg of the tour was a success, attracting between 1,500 and 2,000 attendees. In contrast, the Melbourne concert drew only around 700 people. They admitted that the crowd was upset with her for making them wait so long, especially since many fans had paid approximately 300 AUD (around Rs16,000) for tickets.

According to them, Neha refused to go on stage after seeing the limited audience turnout and insisted that the venue be filled before she would perform. “What I was told by the organiser was that she said, ‘There are just 700 people, so until you fill up the stadium, I won’t perform,’” they alleged.
Neha had earlier claimed that the organisers failed to conduct a proper sound check and did not pay the sound engineers, resulting in technical delays. However, the organisers countered that the equipment had been fully operational earlier in the event. “Everyone performed, and all the setup was complete. I don’t think what she said is true,” they responded.
Pace D and Bikram also claimed that all necessary arrangements had been made. They confirmed that she had been provided with suitable accommodation and luxurious travel vehicles in Australia. “Even before the artiste flies to Australia, they are fully paid. She was 100 per cent paid in advance — this is something very basic in Australia,” they added.

They further clarified that a hotel had been reserved and transportation arranged. In their defence, the organisers stressed that due to the low turnout and Neha’s delay, the event suffered major financial setbacks, with reported losses amounting to 500,000 AUD.
Anyway, Neha’s team has not reacted to these claims as of now.
Neha’s initial reaction
Neha’s first reaction, following the viral video of her crying on stage, read: “Do you know that I performed absolutely free for my Melbourne audience? The organisers ran away with my money and others’ too. My band was not even given food, a hotel, or even water. Do you know our sound check was delayed by hours because the sound vendor was not paid and refused to switch the sound on? And when, after so much delay, our sound check finally began, I could not reach the venue. We didn’t even know if the concert was happening, as the organisers stopped taking my manager’s calls.”

Veteran actor Paresh Rawal, who has delivered several iconic films alongside Akshay Kumar including Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Bhaagam Bhaag, has opened up about their off-screen relationship. In a recent chat with The Lallantop, Rawal made it clear that while there’s strong mutual respect between them, he sees Akshay more as a colleague than a close friend.
In an interview with The Lallantop, when asked whether Akshay is a friend, Paresh Rawal initially replied, “Yes.” But he then elaborated with clarity: “Film industry mein colleague hote hain, theatre mein dost hote hain, aur school mein jigar jaan dost hote hain. But film ke andar colleague hote hain.” His take highlights the largely professional nature of relationships in the film industry, compared to the deeper bonds formed during school or theatre.
Speaking further, the acclaimed actor revealed that his true friends are from his early days in theatre and school. “Mere dost jinko main with respect bol saku toh Om Puri sahab the, Naseer bhai hain, Johny Lever hain… Ye hain jinko main dost bol saku,” he said, noting that he considers these friendships to be genuine and heartfelt.

Despite classifying Akshay Kumar as a colleague, Paresh Rawal had only good things to say about him. In a previous interview with Siddharth Kannan in February, he called Akshay “hardworking”, “honest”, and a “proper family man”, and emphasised that there is no insecurity between them. “The integrity is top-notch… It feels nice to talk to him and be around him,” Rawal had said.

The duo, known for their impeccable comic timing and chemistry, will soon reunite for Hera Pheri 3 and Priyadarshan’s horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla, much to the excitement of fans eagerly waiting for their return to the big screen.