Singer Shilpa Rao's set at Mumbai's Bollywood Music Project was cut short on October 24 after organisers switched off her microphone mid-performance, sparking fan fury and a sharp rebuke from a film industry body. The National Film Award-winning singer, known for songs like "Ghungroo", "Bulleya" and "Chaleya", was performing at the 10th anniversary edition of the festival at Jio World Garden when her set was abruptly ended.
Mic off twice as next act took the stage
According to videos shared online and first-hand accounts, Rao's microphone failed during her first song, and after she had sung for about 15 to 20 minutes, the organisers cut the lights and her microphone while she was still on stage. As she returned to thank the audience, fellow performer Kutle Khan of the Kutle Khan Project began performing from a second stage while she was still speaking.
When the crowd kept chanting her name, Rao told fans: "I just wanted to say bye. I can't leave without saying bye. Woh nahin gaane de rahe" — they are not letting me sing. Her remark drew loud boos from the audience. Before she could finish, her microphone was switched off yet again. She made a heart sign with her hands, blew a flying kiss to her fans and walked off the stage as the crowd continued chanting "Shilpa, Shilpa".
"A little piece of my heart broke tonight"
Later that night, Rao shared an emotional note on Instagram. "Mumbai, a little piece of my heart broke tonight. It hurts deeply to have something so beautiful taken away from us like this," she wrote. "But even when the music stopped, you did not. The way you kept calling my name, the love in your voices. I could feel it all. Our story tonight was left unfinished. I promise, I will come back."
Fans vented their anger online, accusing the organisers of poor time management and disrespect. One attendee wrote that the event ran nearly 45 minutes late, which squeezed performance slots, and noted that even the main act got only 45 minutes. Another wrote: "Absolute disrespect to Shilpa Rao! Horribly managed Bollywood Music Project!"
Industry body condemns, organisers apologise
On Sunday, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) strongly condemned the incident, calling it "completely unacceptable" and an insult to the singer's dignity. The association said forcibly cutting off a performing artist's microphone and lights mid-performance and handing the stage to another artist was entirely unacceptable, and said it would support Rao if she chose to take action against the organisers.
The festival organisers issued an apology late on Saturday night, saying they hold Rao in the highest regard and deeply value her artistry. They blamed unpredictable operational shifts, extended sets from earlier performances, and strict local authority guidelines and venue curfew regulations for the abrupt end to her set.
Watch: Fan footage of Shilpa Rao's interrupted Bollywood Music Project performance in Mumbai.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Silly Fun (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: India TV News, NDTV, Bollywood Hungama, Outlook India, ABP Live.