Malayalam star Mohan Lal returns Rs 1.63 crore performance fee after fiasco
Thiruvananthapuram: Following a mighty backlash against the debut performance of his band Lalisom at the National Games, actor Mohanlal has decided to return Rs 1.63 crore that he was officially paid to stage the show.
In an e-mail reportedly sent to the Chief Minister and the sports minister, and CC-ed to the media, Mohanlal sounded hurt and painted himself as a saviour who took up the crooning assignment only after the Chief Minister and the sports minister sent him a last-minute SOS.
“At the last minute, when a major music programme that had been planned failed to come through, the authorities approached me and requested that I perform Lalisom at the inaugural function,” Mohanlal said in the e-mail. The pride in his band was also intact. He said that ‘Lalisom’ performed at National Games was only a whittled-down version.
Mohanlal said the Lalisom performed at National Games was only a whittled-down version of what he described as an "extremely different" show.
"I agreed to do the programme in a simple manner, avoiding all the technical complexities. I also agreed to be part of the 'Kunhalimarakkar' show. I tried to express my humble commitment to this great event (National Games) by taking part in these two shows without taking any remuneration," Mohanlal said.
The money was taken, he said, to pay the artistes and those who worked behind the scenes. Besides remuneration to celebrity singers and four Russian dancers including cocoordinators fee, it includes money for song rehearsals, orchestration, recording, mixing including studio hire and remuneration to technicians.
Now that he has returned the money, Mohanlal wants the controversies to end.
