Kanpur: Social media influencer and actor Anjali Arora has been served a legal notice seeking Rs 1.20 crore by the organisers of the Nagada Nights event held in Kanpur on October 15, 2026. The organisers have alleged that she left the stage after performing for approximately 12 minutes, despite an alleged agreement for a 45-minute performance. They have also approached Swarup Nagar police station, seeking the registration of a first information report (FIR).
The dispute centres on conflicting accounts of the event, including allegations about the duration of the performance, outstanding payments, security arrangements and the circumstances surrounding Anjali’s departure. While the organisers claim that the incident caused financial losses and harmed their professional reputation, Anjali has said that her concerns were related to security and interference with her personal space.
According to senior advocate Karim Ahmed Siddiqui, who is representing the organisers, the legal notice seeks compensation for alleged financial losses, damage to social and professional reputation, and mental distress. The organisers have estimated their financial loss at around Rs 20 lakh, claiming that sponsors withheld payments following the incident.
The allegations remain disputed, and the legal notice and request for an FIR do not establish liability or wrongdoing.
Why the organisers sent a Rs 1.20 crore notice
Nagada Nights was held at Lajpat Bhawan Lawn in Kanpur on October 15. The event was organised by Aman Nigam, who runs the band Shor, Ashish Kumar, who runs a digital marketing company, and event planner Anubhav Raj.
Siddiqui said the organisers had negotiated Anjali’s performance fee with her manager, Preeti Dubey. According to him, the agreed fee was Rs 3 lakh, of which Rs 2.75 lakh was transferred to different bank accounts.
The organisers also reportedly covered air travel, accommodation and food expenses for Anjali and four members of her team.
According to the organisers’ account, Anjali arrived at Kanpur airport at around 4 pm on October 15. They alleged that she initially refused to leave the airport until the outstanding Rs 75,000 was paid. They said she left the airport with her team after the remaining amount was transferred.
The organisers have claimed that the payment dispute and the subsequent disagreement over the performance contributed to the disruption at the venue. The legal notice seeks Rs 1.20 crore, although the financial loss specifically attributed to the incident has been estimated by the organisers at around Rs 20 lakh.
The notice also reportedly seeks compensation for alleged reputational damage and mental distress. The precise basis for the full compensation demand has not been independently established in the information provided.
Organisers allege the performance lasted 12 minutes
According to Siddiqui, Anjali’s performance was scheduled to take place between 9 pm and 9.45 pm. However, he alleged that she took the stage at approximately 9.45 pm and performed for around 12 minutes before leaving following an argument involving her management team.
The organisers claim that the performance was supposed to last 45 minutes. They allege that the shortened appearance angered sponsors and led them to withhold payments, resulting in financial losses for the event team.
The organisers have argued that they had incurred expenses on the event, including the artist’s fee and travel arrangements, and expected the agreed performance to be delivered. They maintain that the incident affected their ability to fulfil their commitments to sponsors and other stakeholders.
However, the organisers’ account represents their version of the dispute. Anjali has offered a different explanation for her departure, citing concerns about security and personal boundaries. The competing claims have not been resolved in the information available.
Organisers seek FIR and apology
Siddiqui said the organisers had approached Swarup Nagar police station in Kanpur, seeking the registration of an FIR in connection with the incident.
He also said that if the police did not register an FIR on the basis of their complaint, the organisers would approach senior police officials. The organisers have further demanded an apology from Anjali to the people of Kanpur.
An FIR request is a step towards seeking police action and does not, by itself, establish that an offence has occurred. The allegations would need to be examined through the appropriate process.
Aman Nigam, one of the organisers, also rejected Anjali’s account of the incident and said that people present at the venue had witnessed what happened.
Nigam alleged that Anjali became upset when the song Kacha Badam was played, despite the track being associated with the rise in her popularity on social media. He claimed that she objected to the song and expressed her displeasure towards people present at the venue before reprimanding members of the organising team.
According to Nigam, any objections concerning the song or the event’s arrangements should have been communicated in advance so that the organisers could address them.
These statements reflect the organisers’ allegations and have not been independently verified.
Anjali Arora cites security and personal-space concerns
Anjali presented her version of the controversy through three videos shared on Instagram on October 19. She said she had no objection to the song Kacha Badam and acknowledged that it had helped her gain widespread recognition.
Instead, she said her concerns were related to security arrangements at the event and interference with her personal space.
Anjali alleged that the doorbell of her hotel room was repeatedly rung and that several people kept visiting her room to ask for photographs. She said the situation made her uncomfortable.
Her account differs from the organisers’ claim that the shortened performance and disagreement over the song caused the disruption. The dispute therefore involves not only the duration of the performance but also differing accounts of the arrangements made for the actor and her team.
The allegations concerning hotel access and security have also been disputed. Organiser Ashish Gupta dismissed Anjali’s claims about security arrangements.
Gupta said the owner of the vehicle that transported Anjali from the airport to the hotel was present during the journey. He claimed that, on the return journey, only Anjali’s manager accompanied her in the vehicle.
The competing accounts have not been independently established, and neither side’s statements should be treated as a final determination of what occurred.
Dispute could have financial and professional implications
The controversy has raised questions about the arrangements between performers and event organisers, including agreed performance durations, payment schedules, security provisions and responsibilities towards sponsors.
Artist appearances at public events generally involve multiple parties, including performers, management teams, event planners, venue operators and sponsors. Disagreements over payments or event arrangements can affect the relationship between these parties, particularly when a performance does not proceed as expected.
In this case, the organisers say they incurred expenses and suffered losses after sponsors allegedly withheld payments. Anjali, meanwhile, has raised concerns about her personal space and security.
The Rs 1.20 crore legal notice represents the organisers’ compensation demand, rather than an amount that has been awarded by a court. Any legal consequences will depend on the evidence, the parties’ contractual arrangements and the outcome of any proceedings that follow.
Anjali Arora’s recent work
Anjali Arora rose to widespread social media recognition through short-form video content, with Kacha Badam becoming closely associated with her online popularity. She later expanded her work into acting and entertainment projects.
She was last seen in Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha, in which she played the role of Sita.
The Kanpur event dispute has brought attention to her professional commitments and the different expectations of performers and event organisers. However, the allegations surrounding the Nagada Nights appearance remain contested.
What happens next?
The organisers have issued a legal notice seeking Rs 1.20 crore and approached Swarup Nagar police station for an FIR. They have also indicated that they may escalate their complaint to senior police officials if necessary.
Anjali has publicly outlined her concerns about security and personal boundaries, while the organisers have disputed her account and alleged that the shortened performance caused financial and reputational damage.
The next steps will depend on how the parties pursue the dispute and whether the police or other authorities take further action. Until the allegations are examined through the appropriate process, the claims made by both sides remain competing accounts of the events in Kanpur.