Singer Shilpa Rao ’s performance at the 10th-anniversary edition of the Bollywood Music Project (BMP) in Mumbai ended abruptly on Saturday, October 24, after her microphone was switched off before she could finish her set. But that was not all the drama at BMP as headliner Himesh Reshammiya continued performing beyond the 10 pm curfew. The incident upset fans, particularly as singer Kutle Khan and his band began performing on another stage while Shilpa was still on stage.
After performing a few of her songs, Shilpa was performing Chuttamalle from Devara: Part 1 when her microphone was switched off for the first time. Shilpa was among the performers at BMP’s 10th-anniversary celebrations, an event that reportedly faced delays and sound issues throughout the day. Her set was affected by technical problems from the beginning. After the first microphone malfunctioned, she waited for a replacement, only to face similar issues with the second one. The interruption left her visibly surprised. The situation became more awkward when singer-songwriter Kutle Khan and his band, The Kutle Khan Project, began their performance on the second side of the stage while Shilpa was still there.
Fans react to the chaos
When she returned to address the audience and thank them for their patience, her microphone was switched off again before Kutle’s performance began. Shilpa was left without a proper opportunity to wrap up her set, prompting an outpouring of support from fans who felt the singer had been treated unfairly. The organisers also expressed their respect for the singer and her contribution to the music industry. we deeply regret that we could not showcase her performance in its entirety While these circumstances were entirely out of our control. The organisers concluded their statement by apologising once again to the singer and her fans. During his set, Himesh acknowledged the time constraints and joked that fans could catch his upcoming Cap Mania Tour if they wanted to hear more of his songs. Even then, he stayed on stage with singer Pragati Nagpal for a few more minutes before leaving. The difference in how the two performances ended became a major talking point among festivalgoers. Several concert-goers also pointed out that Shilpa, one of the festival’s prominent female performers and co-headliner, had faced repeated technical problems and was denied a proper sign-off in front of her audience.
Following the backlash, the Bollywood Music Project issued a statement on Instagram on October 25 post midnight, apologising to Shilpa, her team and the fans who had come to see her perform. His performance continued past 10 pm, with his microphone finally being switched off at 10:13 pm. They added that local authority guidelines and venue curfew restrictions had limited their ability to accommodate the delays, resulting in Shilpa’s performance being cut short: “Because our festivals operate under strict local authority guidelines and venue curfew regulations, these compounding delays unfortunately forced a premature end to her set.
Himesh treated the audience to several of his popular tracks, including Naam Hai Tera, Hookah Bar and Aashiq Banaya Aapne. He also brought his wife, Sonia Kapoor, on stage and invited Ayushmann Khurrana to join him as a surprise guest ahead of the release of Yeh Prem Mol Liya next month. The singer tried to thank the fans for their patience but even her speech was cut short, which made attendees call out the utter disrespect shown towards her. She came mid way to say goodbye to the attendees and thank them for their support and love but even her speech had to be cut short with the performance of Kulte Project beginning while she was at one end of the stage. Kutle Khan from Kutle Khan Project started singing midway during her speech and her mic was switched off, angering fans and attendees alike. One wrote, “Absolute disrespect to Shilpa Rao! Horribly managed Bollywood Music Project! Another wrote, “ABSOLUTE RUBBISH ORGANISATION!!! I paid the ticket money only and only to see @shilparao11 You first give her a mic that doesn’t work, then again, AND AGAIN!! Do better, and don’t organise events if you don’t have the caliber to do that, especially if this is your 10th year doing it MISERABLY! Shame on you!”
The organisers’ explanation came under scrutiny after Himesh Reshammiya took the stage later that night and continued performing beyond the 10 pm cut-off. The singer was scheduled to perform between 8:30 pm and 10 pm but began late amid the delays earlier in the evening. Earlier reporting noted: Shilpa Rao cut off mid performance at Bollywood Music Project, rushed off stage; attendees fume at disrespect towards singer Singer Shilpa Rao was one of the performers at the 10th anniversary edition of the Bollywood Music Project (BMP) in Mumbai on October 24.
Because of your POOR TIME MANAGEMENT, and then cut her performance mid-song, turn off her mic and stage lights.
Earlier reporting noted: At the show, Shilpa Rao was cut mid song after Bollywood Music Project reportedly delayed the sets. Earlier reporting noted: Several of them who saw what happened during the show took to X and called out the utter disrespect shown to Shilpa. However, her performance faced delays and her mic was cut off midway during the set, shocking many attendees on Saturday.
