KUALA LUMPUR: Performance director and scriptwriter Anwar Rusdini accepts the fact that he was removed from the Qalam Noraniza Idris Concert project set to take place at Panggung Bangsawan Melaka, next month.
"Many friends had warned me when they found out I was working with her but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.
"Originally, I was brought on as a scriptwriter. During the second meeting, Noraniza asked if I had other skills and I said I could direct.
"Coincidentally, the original director couldn't commit so Noraniza asked me what my charges were for directing. Next thing I know, Noraniza had included me in the WhatsApp group," alleged Anwar.
According to Anwar, Noraniza began piling on work which worried him and made him ask for a deposit.
"I've written six drafts of the script, all of which didn't appeal to Noraniza. I felt that Noraniza didn't actually know what she wanted, so the script was continuously rewritten.
"When there's something she liked, she would keep it. It's not easy to think up ideas and to write them out in verse form. When it came to the seventh draft, Noraniza called again asking to change it.
"At that time I also had a fever and wanted to rest for a day. Because she didn't care, I made a firm decision to ask for a deposit.
"I didn't want to just change things here and there and there was no payment in sight. That's what caused Noraniza to tldrop me from the position of performance director. She wanted me to just focus on the script. From there on I withdrew," he claimed.
Anwar added that he made a police report at the Pandan Indah Police Station for further action, last Thursday.
The Qalam Noraniza Idris concert, organised by the Tatih Seni Academy with support from the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, will take place from Sept 27 to 29.