Melancholic Melody: Chaos at Messi Tribute Turns Dream Performance into Nightmare

Indian singer Charles Antony's special tribute performance for Lionel Messi in Kolkata turned chaotic as poor crowd management led to a harrowing experience. Antony, who came from London for the event, found himself running for safety amidst a frenzied mob that disrupted what was meant to be a grand musical celebration.

The highly anticipated musical tribute to football legend Lionel Messi in Kolkata spiraled into chaos, transforming a dream performance into a nightmare for London-based Indian singer Charles Antony. The December 13 event at Salt Lake Stadium fell apart as crowd control measures failed, prompting Antony to run for his life.

The Malayali singer, who had composed a special Spanish song for Messi, witnessed throngs of frustrated fans who had paid exorbitant sums, only to be left without a glimpse of their idol. Antony described the scene as a descent into mobocracy, with projectiles being hurled and panic taking over the packed venue.

Despite his ordeal, Antony, who also performed during Diego Maradona's 2016 visit to Kolkata, remains the first Indian to have sung for both Maradona and Messi. The singer, though shaken, refrains from solely blaming the event organizer Satadru Dutta for the debacle, attributing the chaos to larger systemic failures.

(With inputs from agencies.)