- By Raju Kumar
- Sat, 13 Dec 2025 05:27 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kolkata Lionel Messi Event: Lionel Messi's much-hyped visit to the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Saturday, which was supposed to be the biggest event of the year in West Bengal because of the presence of the GOAT, the 'Prince of Kolkata' Sourav Ganguly and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, a blend of football, cricket and cinema, but the event ended up in a mess, resulting in the detention of the main organiser. The event at the heart of Kolkata lasted just 22 minutes, after things unfolded unexpectedly.
What was meant to be a red-letter day for the City of Joy turned into a nightmare by noon after fans felt duped as they did not get a glimpse of their GOAT. About 50,000 fans, many of whom had paid Rs 4,000 to Rs 12,000 -- and in some cases up to Rs 20,000 in the black market -- watched helplessly as a swarm of politicians, VVIPs, security personnel, and assorted hangers more interested in selfies than crowd control surrounded Messi, which prompted fans to go on a rampage. They damaged the stadium and threw bottles at guests in anger. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to come forward and apologise for the messy event. The frenzied fans and their act once again underlined how strong and intense the fan culture in India is.
Chaos And Stampede At Events Of Virat Kohli, Vijay And Allu Arjun
Just a year ago, actor Allu Arjun's sudden appearance at Sandhya Theatre, Hyderabad, Telangana, on December 4, 2024, created a huge chaos, ending up in a stampede, in which a woman was killed, and her son got critically injured.
Later, Allu apologised to his fans. In another incident, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)'s fans went out of control at IPL 2025 victory celebrations at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 4, 2025. 11 people lost their lives in the stampede.
Most recently, on September 27, 2025, actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay landed in trouble after his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)'s overcrowded event in the Karur district, Tamil Nadu, turned into a massive mess after his fans went out of control, resulting in a stampede, in which 41 people died.
Now, the question is why the fan culture in India is so intense. There are several social, marketing and historical factors behind the craziness of fans.
Cultural Roots In Hero Worship: Traditionally, we, Indians, love and revere larger-than-life figures, be it mythology, politics, cinema or sports. The popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and actor Rajinikanth is a testimony to the fact. Celebs in India are treated as demigods, with rituals like temple-building or milk offerings.
Emotional Investment: In a diverse country like India, film and sports stars provide joy, aspiration, and the ability to dream. In the 70s and 80s, actor Amitabh Bachchan was an idol for the marginalised society.
Media Impact: Nowadays, we live in a digital world which connects the masses with a phone. Social media influencers and PR organisations present their clients (celebs) in a way of larger than life, which makes a huge impact on fans. The South Indian industries (Tamil, Telugu) have cult-like followings, where stars influence fashion, dialogues, and even politics. In sports, especially, cricketers have millions of followers, which again displays the strong fan culture of India.