File Photo: Kerala Actor Mohanlal
It wasn't exactly Katy Perry at Superbowl half-time. Mohanlal, superstar of Malayalam cinema, lip-synched for a nearly two-hour-long performance at the inauguration of the National Games on Saturday.
The 1.6 crores that he was paid, along with his band, could be returned, the 54-year-old performer said yesterday, after being roasted on social media.
Tomorrow, the cabinet of Chief Minister Oomen Chandy will decide whether to accept the offer for a refund. This was the debut act for Mohanlal's band, 'Lalisom'.
The actor has said that the fees accounted entirely for the expenses of the event, which include paying for the performers, and transport.
The opening ceremony for the 35th National Games in Thiruvananthapuram cost more than Rs. 10 crores, causing deep embarrassment to the Congress-led coalition government.
According to a report by Indo-Asian News Sevice, PC George, Chief Whip for the government, has called for a CBI probe into how the money was spent.
Jiji Thompson who is the senior-most bureaucrat in the state and therefore played a central role in coordinating arrangements for the sports tournament, said, "This is a prestigious event and more care should have been taken. I just cannot ignore the various reports that has surfaced in the media about the conduct of the event. We will see that similar lapses should not take place when the closing ceremony is held on the 14th of this month."