Mumbai, October 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Folk singer Kutle Khan has issued a clarification following the controversy surrounding playback singer Shilpa Rao’s interrupted performance at the Bollywood Music Project (BMP) in Mumbai on October 24, saying he had no role in the incident and had followed the festival organisers’ instructions.
Khan faced criticism after his set began while Rao was attempting to address the audience. Her microphone input was reportedly switched off and the lights were turned off during the incident, bringing her performance to an abrupt halt.
Addressing the controversy in an Instagram video on Tuesday, Khan said all performers had been assigned fixed time slots and that he had acted according to the directions given to him by the organisers.
He said he was unaware of why Rao’s microphone and the lights had been switched off, adding that such an incident should not have happened. He said responsibility for clarifying the technical arrangements lay with the festival organisers or their engineering team.
Khan also explained that his allotted 20-minute performance had been reduced to one minute. He said he accepted the change and began his set around eight minutes late.
According to Khan, Rao subsequently addressed the audience from another stage and indicated that she wanted to thank them. He claimed he paused his performance to allow her to speak before resuming after hearing instructions through his in-ear monitor.
Describing Rao as a close friend whom he considers like a sister, Khan criticised the online trolling surrounding the episode and urged people not to target artists over the controversy.
His clarification comes amid backlash over the handling of Rao’s performance. Khan maintained that he had not intended to interrupt her and had acted in accordance with the instructions he received.
The festival organisers’ account of the incident was not included in Khan’s statement.
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