26 October,2026 08:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar Basu
Shilpa Rao. Pics/Instagram
What was meant to be an evening of music turned into a case of mismanagement and lack of consideration for artistes when Shilpa Rao's performance was cut short midway at the Bollywood Music Project in Mumbai on October 24. Filmmaker Sulagna Chatterjee, who was present at the festival, told mid-day that the lights were dimmed and the singer's mic was cut off while she was performing.
According to Chatterjee, the festival had already fallen behind schedule by the time Rao began her set. She recalled, "She came on stage around 8.30 pm. She started singing Tose Naina Lage, but her microphone stopped working. Despite the technical glitches, she was so graceful about it. She eventually sang four songs, including Khuda Jaane and Kalank."
The situation took a bizarre turn while Rao was singing the chorus of Chuttamalle. "Suddenly, the lights went down and Kutle Khan started his performance on the other stage. Shilpa was standing there in the dark," added Chatterjee.
After Khan's first song, Rao returned to the stage to say goodbye to the audience. Even that wasn't afforded to her. Chatterjee recounted, "She said she didn't want to leave without saying goodbye. But right in the middle of her farewell, Kutle Khan started singing again. The audience was cheering for Shilpa, and it was heartbreaking to watch her being cut off like that."
Even as the festival was running late, Himesh Reshammiya was given the opportunity to perform his full set. Chatterjee shared, "At 10 pm, [the organisers] tried cutting off his microphone too, but Himesh said he had medleys left to sing. He was allowed to continue. Why was Shilpa not given the same consideration?"
mid-day reached out to Rao, who didn't respond till press time.
