KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Famous South Indian singer and music composer Anirudh Ravichander is all set to treat his Malaysian fans with his most anticipated upcoming concert in September as part of his ‘Once Upon A Time’ music tour.
The tour that kickstarted in Chennai will also take place in Singapore and Australia where fans of the aspiring musician will also get a chance to witness him performing their favourite hit songs.
The concert in Malaysia will take place on September 17 and promises to be a totally different experience as the 31-year-old has themed it to be a ‘glow in the dark concert’, taking inspiration from British rock band Coldplay’s previous performances.
Rockstar Anirudh, who was in Malaysia yesterday to launch the concert’s trailer and launch the concert’s announcement with organisers MC Entertainment in affiliation with the Tourism Ministry said: “I have always been a big fan of Coldplay’s concerts. It has great lighting and an audio-visual experience.
“It’s not very viable for Indian concerts but I want to give the Tamil music scene a try and thanks to Malaysia’s Tourism Ministry and MC Entertainment for making it happen now.
“This has never happened but it is very inspiring for a concert format and I hope it will work,” he told members of the media and fans who attended the trailer launch at Marriott Hotel in Putrajaya yesterday afternoon.
The concert will be the first ever “glow in the dark” conceptualised concert ever done by an Indian artist in Malaysia and is slotted to be one of the most unique experiences for fans in Malaysia - where a wave of big Indian concerts has been happening lately.
According to the organisers, to further enhance the “glow in the dark” experience, all concert attendees will be given programmable LED wristbands designed to create a stunning light show during the concert.
What else to expect on concert day
Meanwhile, interpreting further on the technicalities and what fans can expect on the concert day, MC Entertainment said the concert venue at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil will fit up to a maximum 8,500 fans.
Its creative director, Edwin Anand Raj said with the concert’s theme, the numbers are just about right to create the best experience for Anirudh’s fans.
“We have been working on this since pre-pandemic. We want to create the best experience for Anirudh’s fans in terms of lighting and sound experience. So, in that sense 8,500 fits the best.
“We are also planning to work with OTT platforms and other cameramen etc to bring this concert further for the masses who don’t get a chance to witness it live,” he said when the capacity of the venue was debated during the press conference, as it was limited to 8,500 people.
Given the limited capacity, Anirudh also assured his fans that he will be back again soon.
“In a couple of months, we will come back. Kuala Lumpur is the only place I’m doing my fourth show and Malaysia is always my second home,” he said receiving a loud applause from his fans present.
Anirudh has also confirmed that fan favourite Jonita Gandhi, a Canadian singer of Indian descent will be performing alongside him.
“Mostly, I will be performing and I also have Jonita and my same band since college with some extra musicians. I will be also including Malaysian local acts in between. It’s going to be a challenge to pick and choose the songs I will be performing but I think I’ve heard your voices here,” he said referring to fans who had requested him to perform some of their favourites at the launch yesterday.
“But no actors. This show’s focus is our concert for the fans in Malaysia. The show’s attention shouldn’t be diverted. If my industry friends want to come “along” that’s fine. But this is basically just for fans in Malaysia.” Anirudh also praised his fans in Malaysia saying that his best shows have always been in Malaysia.
“My first ever show was in Malaysia. My best shows have been in Malaysia. The best audience too. It’s my second home after Chennai. Sometimes we can’t plan which country got more fans. It just happened naturally to be Malaysia. I’ve done four shows here,” he said.
Anirudh, is an award winning Indian music composer, playback singer, producer and instrumentalist, best recognised for his work in the Tamil film industry.
He made his debut as a music composer in 2021 at the age of 21 and a song from the movie, Why This Kolaveri Di became India’s most-watched YouTube video and a global online sensation.
In a career spanning 10 years, he has composed multiple albums, which include chartbusters like Vannakam Chennai, Velaiyilla Pattathari, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, Petta and Beast.
On the work front in recent times, Anirudh’s work in his latest release Vikram has gained high praises from critics and audience.
He is all set to score music for Thalaivar 169 and AK 62. Which will star Indian superstars Rajinikanth and Ajith Kumar respectively.
The rockstar will also be debuting in Bollywood with Datuk Shah Rukh Khan and Nayanthara starrer Jawaan, directed by Atlee.
He also has multiple Telugu films in the pipeline.
“I’ve grown up watching Shah Rukh Khan and now my wonderful brother Atlee is taking us there to Bollywood where I will be expanding my audience and I’m very excited,” Anirudh said.
The musician also had some proposals to do a celebrity talk show, however the idea has been put on hold due to his busy schedule.
The press conference and trailer launch itself were like a mini concert yesterday with attendees, media and fans given glow in the dark led lanyards to get a feel of how the concert would be like in September and watching the full trailer in the dark while the room glowed.
Guest of honour, Syed Yahya Syed Othman, Senior Director of Strategic Planning from Tourism Malaysia and Senior private secretary, Effi Arpan also attended the event launch.
“I’ve never seen such a lively press conference. I know the concert is going to be crazy. So, Kuala Lumpur let’s go crazy and thank you for supporting me for the past 10 years,” Anirudh said before leaving the event.
Tickets for the concert will be launched on July 25, 2022 with an announcement on ticket pricing to be made closer to sales day.
