06 November,2025 05:24 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Madhuri Dixit
On November 2, numerous Bollywood fans flocked to The Theatre at Great Canadian Toronto to see actor Madhuri Dixit perform live as she launched her international tour of the United States and Canada. However, the majority of these fans apparently left the arena unhappy. Members of the audience complained on social media that Madhuri arrived 3 hours late, left early, and delivered a 'lacklustre interview' instead of performing on stage as fans had expected. This has caused a stir with a blame game going on between promoters and organisers over the delay.
Madhuri Dixit's ongoing Canada Tour has stirred controversy after attendees criticised the event, alleging delays and confusion about its format. Initially, local organisers blamed the actress's team for a delayed performance. However, the National Promoter, Atique Sheikh, has now issued a clarification stating that Madhuri Dixit was on time, and the issue stemmed from a local promoter's miscommunication.
At a recent press conference, Sheikh explained that the event was never meant to be a concert, but a Fan Meet & Greet featuring a fireside chat and interactive session with Madhuri. He noted that some fans were wrongly informed that it was a concert, leading to misunderstanding.
"Madhuri ji has always been professional and punctual. She arrived at 9:30 PM for her scheduled performance and went on stage between 9:45 PM and 10:00 PM, as planned," Sheikh stated.
According to the organisers, Indian Idol performers Shivangi Sharma and Tanmay Chaturvedi entertained audiences from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM, while Madhuri also attended a Meet and Greet session at 5:30 PM. The promoters emphasised that there was no delay or lapse from the actress or her team.
They concluded that the confusion was caused solely by the incorrect information shared by local promoters, reaffirming Madhuri Dixit Nene's reputation for punctuality and professionalism.
Many attendees revealed that their tickets mentioned 7:30 PM as the start time, but the event began only around 10 PM. "I left at 11:05 PM as I had work the next day. I honestly don't know if it was the organisers or her who decided she'd come at 10 PM. It just started way too late and disrespected the audience's time," one of them commented.
Another attendee asked people to take formal action: "Everyone, please report the organisers to Consumer Protection Ontario. This falls under âMisrepresentation.' It's illegal for a business to give false information about its services."
Amid the criticism, some of her fans came forward to defend the actress. One fan commented, "She seems to be performing as graciously as always! It may be a production or management coordination issue," while another wrote, "Madhuri Dixit is amazing. Real fans would appreciate any glimpse of her. It's not her fault if it was not organised correctly. To be in her presence is something else."
