Shilpa Rao's microphone cut mid-performance in Mumbai: fans voice anger, organisers later apologise
The microphone of popular, National Award-winning singer Shilpa Rao was switched off in the middle of her live performance. Fans have spoken out against the organisers' mismanagement and what they see as disrespectful treatment of the artist.
The incident took place on Saturday (24 October) in Mumbai at the tenth-anniversary event of the Bollywood Music Project, where Shilpa Rao was performing on the big stage.
Not only was her microphone cut; the next artist's performance began on stage before Shilpa had even finished speaking to the audience. The singer was, understandably, left disappointed.
After the incident, Shilpa expressed her anger and sorrow in a post on her Instagram account. She wrote: 'Mumbai, tonight a small part of my heart broke. It is deeply painful that such a beautiful moment was snatched away from us like this.'
Even after the music stopped, however, the audience kept calling out her name in support. On that, Shilpa wrote: 'But even though the song stopped, you did not. I could feel all the love in your voices calling my name. Tonight our story remained incomplete. I promise I will come back. Mumbai, I love you. Always, forever.'
Following Shilpa's post, the event's organisers published a statement on their Instagram account late on Saturday night. In it, they apologised for the abrupt end to the artist's performance and expressed respect and admiration for Shilpa Rao.
The statement said: 'We sincerely apologise. At the Bollywood Music Project, our aim is always to create an extraordinary live music experience for artists and their fans.'
The organisers added: 'We hold Shilpa Rao in the highest regard. We honour her extraordinary contribution, her unique artistry and her deep influence on the world of music. We were truly honoured to have her at our event.'
Explaining the sudden ending, the organisers said running a large music festival with multiple artists is a complex task. When earlier artists perform longer than scheduled, the timetable of the acts that follow runs into trouble.
They said it is mandatory to follow local administration guidelines and the venue's fixed time limit or curfew rules. As the evening wore on and delays accumulated in the schedule, Shilpa's performance had to be ended early.
Shilpa Rao began her playback career in 2007 with the song 'Tose Naina' from the film Anwar. She has since given countless popular songs, including 'Khuda Jaane', 'Ghungroo', 'Bulleya' and 'Chaleya' from the film Jawan.
She won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for 'Chaleya'. The stage experience of such an artist is now the subject of discussion — even accepting the organisers' explanation, many fans are asking why the price of time management had to be paid by switching off the artist's microphone.
