KOLKATA: The Anupam Roy Band will perform its first big act at Nazrul Mancha on Friday after the tragic death of KK shortly after his show at the same venue. Roy and his band members will be performing at the annual fest of The Calcutta Institute of Engineering and Management (CIEM).
His manager has sent the college authorities a note stating that the singer will have the right to cancel the show if a critical care ambulance is not kept on the Nazrul Mancha premises.
Roy will also be performing on Saturday on the Jalpaiguri Engineering College campus. He has been getting calls from worried well-wishers and fans but he is upbeat about performing at the consecutive college fests. "KK's incident is very tragic. I was there at the hospital too," Roy said. On Thursday, Roy rehearsed for his shows with his band. "As an artist, I think about my music. It is my management's responsibility to take care of me," he said.
According to Rana Singha Roy, manager of The Anupam Roy Band, "We always have an SOP in place for our shows. That is sent in advance to the organizers. After KK's incident, we have asked for an ambulance with ventilator at the venue during show time. We reserve the right to cancel the concert in case this requirement is not full filled."
SK Anarul, assistant professor of BCA and BSc at CIEM's data science department, told TOI that the college authorities are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that not one just two critical care ambulances are kept at the venue. "The fest is being organized after a gap of two years. Had this unfortunate incident of KK not happened, we would have still made arrangements for ambulance. We are committed to taking care of artists as well as our students. That's why we are keeping an extra critical care ambulance besides the one that Anupam Roy's band has asked for. There are a few ambulances that will be there on the buffer. At any point, they will be available to rush to the venue. We have also made arrangements for a doctor to be present in the green room all through the show," Anarul said.
Adequate number of glucose sachets, hand towels and tissues have been kept ready. To assist in proper air circulation, the college authorities have organized for four extra pedestal fans on the stage. "Nazrul Mancha provides four pedestal fans by default. We will ourselves arrange four extra fans,"
The fest will start at 5 in the evening with an hour-and-a-half-long act by T.R.A.P - The Radical Array Project. Bhaswar Sen, the violinist of the band that was formed in 2014, said they will go to Nazrul Mancha for a sound check on Friday afternoon. "We need a critical care ambulance at the venue. No outsiders should be allowed on stage," Sen said.
Roy is expected to take the stage at 7 pm. The show will conclude by 8.30 pm. The college authorities insist that they have made sure that only 2,000 listeners attend Friday's show. "We have distributed 1,500 cards among students and 500 among faculty members and their guests. Under no circumstances will we allow more than 2,000 people at the venue," Anarul said.
