Farhan Akhtar’s recent performance in the City, as part of Presidency College’s fest, was hyped no end and the actor too played by the script by acting pricey.

He not only kept the media waiting for more than two and half hours but didn’t even sound a wee bit apologetic about his late arrival.

But Farhan chose to reserve his best for his fans. He made sure he enthralled the crowd, who gathered for his performance, with some of his best songs.

 Although he walked into the press conference in a grey T-shirt, he quickly changed into a white one with MARD (Men Against Rape and Discrimination) inscribed on it. In fact, his entire team wore similar T-shirts.

“After the Delhi gang-rape incident, we wanted to send out a strong message to the public about the safety of women. If you notice, the letter ‘A’ in MARD is like a moustache. That’s deliberately done. Women must be allowed to walk free, without any fear,” says a member of Farhan’s music team.

The students of the college and their friends began to throng the venue a good four hours before the concert.

And it looked like the wait was worth it, for Farhan had the young girls and boys swaying and grooving to his beats.

The crowd seemed to know almost all the songs by heart since many people were singing along, each in their unique style.  

Among the many songs that Farhan belted out were Dil Chahta Hai and Meri Laundry Ka Ek Bill.

During his concert, Farhan paused to urge the students to shun violence, respect women and treat them well.

Farhan even recited a poem against rape and discrimination.

Suman Rao, a student, says, “Farhan not only entertained the audience but he used the occasion to send out a strong message to the youngsters. He inspired us to sing along and his energy was infectious.”

Suhan Azmath, another youngster from the crowd, observes, “When I heard Farhan was performing, I took a half-day off to attend the concert. A friend of mine got me the passes. Listening to him live was a different experience altogether. He was brilliant.”  

 A few of the other songs that he sang were Socha Hai, Senorita, Toh Zinda Ho Tum, Tum Ho To, ‘Sinbad the Sailor’ and ‘Rock On’.

Talking about why Farhan was chosen to perform at the fest, Nafisa, director of Presidency Group of Institutions, says, “Farhan is multi-talented. He’s not only a good actor but relates to young people really well. I really appreciate that he took the opportunity to send out a strong message to the youngsters.”