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. The incident upset fans, particularly as singer Kutle Khan and his band began performing on another stage while Shilpa was still on stage. But that was not all the drama at BMP as headliner Himesh Reshammiya continued performing beyond the 10 pm curfew.
After the organisers later apologised for the Shilpa fiasco, blaming scheduling delays and venue restrictions, many attendees questioned why Shilpa was not given the same consideration. They also pointed out that musicians like Anu Malik and Euphoria had slightly extended their sets whereas other artists had to adjust their timings on the second stage.
Shilpa Rao’s performance cut short
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. 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. 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.
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.
Taking to social media later, Shilpa shared an emotional message about the experience and thanked the Mumbai audience for continuing to cheer for her even after the music stopped.
BMP apologises for cutting Shilpa Rao’s set short
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. The organisers also expressed their respect for the singer and her contribution to the music industry.
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. While these circumstances were entirely out of our control, we deeply regret that we could not showcase her performance in its entirety.” The organisers concluded their statement by apologising once again to the singer and her fans.
The statement concluded with an apology to Shilpa and her team.
Himesh Reshammiya performs beyond the 10 pm curfew
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. 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.
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. His performance continued past 10 pm, with his microphone finally being switched off at 10:13 pm. Even then, he stayed on stage with singer Pragati Nagpal for a few more minutes before leaving.
Fans react to the chaos
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.
An attendee questioned whether the organisers had applied their explanation consistently, writing, “What exactly happened to this rationale when Anu Malik and Euphoria exceeded their time? Do not confuse timeliness with disrespect. Not once but thrice. She also stood on the stage for the entire performance of Kutle’s first song just so that she could conclude and say goodbye. And even that couldn’t be honoured. Does this apology even make sense? So many of us came especially because she was included in the line-up. This is really not expected from a decade old project org. It was so insulting that none of the audience could see that happen to Shilpa Rao.”
Another attendee criticised the decision to cut short her performance, saying, “You had the mics getting cut, given artists no one was vibing to extra time. And cut one of the one act people were genuinely enjoying!”