Kutle Khan has finally spoken out about the backlash he faced after Shilpa Rao’s performance was abruptly ended at the Bollywood Music Project (BMP) in Mumbai on October 24, 2026. In a video message posted on Instagram, the folk-fusion singer denied that he or his team had any role in switching off Rao’s microphone or stage lights, and explained that he was simply following instructions from the festival organisers. The incident, which took place during BMP’s 10th-anniversary edition, left Rao visibly upset and sparked a wave of criticism against Khan online. His response, along with a detailed statement from his manager, has now added new layers to a controversy that refuses to die down.
What Exactly Happened on Stage
The trouble began when Shilpa Rao’s set ran into scheduling delays. According to multiple reports, her microphone and the stage lights were switched off while she was still on stage, just as she was about to thank the audience. At the same moment, Kutle Khan and his band, The Kutle Khan Project, began performing on an adjacent stage. Videos from the event show Rao standing at one end of the stage in the dark while Khan’s music played, effectively drowning out her closing remarks. Fans in the crowd chanted Rao’s name, and the moment quickly went viral on social media, with many blaming Khan for what looked like an unprofessional interruption.
Kutle Khan’s Side of the Story
In his Instagram video, Kutle Khan stated that all artists at the festival had fixed time slots, including Rao, and that his own performance was cut from 20 minutes to just eight minutes at the last minute. He said he accepted the change because he had to follow the organisers’ instructions. “During the performance, her microphone and the lights were switched off. I don’t know how that happened, and it should not have happened at all. It certainly did not happen from our side,” Khan said in the video. He further explained that when Rao asked to address the crowd, he paused his set to let her speak. “I could hear through my in-ear monitor someone telling me, ‘Mr. Kutle, start, start.’ So I resumed my performance,” he added. Khan also stressed that Rao is a close friend, “like a sister,” and that the trolling directed at him was “very unfortunate”.
Manager Sharad Sharma’s Strong Counter-Claims
Kutle Khan’s manager, Sharad Sharma, gave an exclusive interview to News18, in which he offered a different version of events. Sharma claimed that Rao had already finished her performance and left the stage before Khan began his set. According to him, Rao then returned mid-way through Khan’s performance to thank the audience, effectively interrupting him. “She should’ve thanked everyone at the end of her own performance. She went backstage and then came back when Khan saab was halfway through his set,” Sharma said. He also pointed a finger at Himesh Reshammiya, stating that Reshammiya’s three-hour sound check caused the delays that forced organisers to shorten other artists’ sets. Sharma dismissed the online narrative against Khan as “bakwaas” and suggested that Rao’s PR team was fuelling it.
The Organisers Have Apologised
The Bollywood Music Project organisers issued an apology following the incident. In their statement, they said they hold Shilpa Rao in the highest regard and regretted that her performance could not be completed as planned. “We deeply apologise. At BMP, our mission is always to deliver an unparalleled live music experience for both our artists and their fans,” the statement read. The organisers attributed the abrupt ending to “unpredictable operational shifts” and “strict local authority guidelines and venue curfew regulations”. Rao herself posted a note on Instagram, writing, “Mumbai, a piece of my heart broke tonight. It hurts deeply to have something so beautiful taken away from us like this. But even when the music stopped you didn’t”.
Fans and Industry Bodies React
Concertgoers did not hold back on social media. One user wrote, “Worst management by @bmp_live @shilparao11 was abruptly cut by Kutle Khan and the organisers shut the mic of shilpa mid-performance. Absolutely horrible production”. Another post read, “Absolute disrespect to Shilpa Rao! Horribly managed Bollywood Music Project!”. The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) also released a statement condemning the treatment of Rao, calling it “completely unacceptable” and warning of possible action. “Forcibly cutting a performing artist’s sound and lighting mid-show, and then handing the stage to another act, is completely unacceptable,” the AICWA statement said. Filmmaker Sulagna Chatterjee, who was present at the event, questioned why Himesh Reshammiya was allowed to continue his set past the curfew when Rao was not given the same consideration.
Who Are Shilpa Rao and Kutle Khan
Shilpa Rao is a National Film Award-winning playback singer known for hits like “Khuda Jaane,” “Chaleya,” and “Besharam Rang”. Kutle Khan is a folk-fusion artist and the leader of The Kutle Khan Project, a band that blends Rajasthani folk music with contemporary sounds. The two have shared a professional rapport in the past, which is why Khan’s statement emphasised that there is no personal animosity between them. The Bollywood Music Project, which marked its 10th edition this year, is one of Mumbai’s prominent multi-artist music festivals, and the incident has put its crowd and time management under scrutiny.
Related Stories
View all articles about
Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan’s King Poster Sparks Dhurandhar 2 Copy Claims and AI Editing Debate Online
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more clear and fact-checked stories from the world of entertainment.
Leave a Reply