Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi faced criticism after Uttarakhand minister Subodh Uniyal accused him of lip-syncing and appearing disoriented during a Navratri performance, and he claimed singer was paid at ₹35 lakh for the event.
Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi is in the spotlight after a controversy over his performance at a Navratri event in Uttarakhand, where state cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal publicly reprimanded him on stage. The minister has since claimed that the singer was paid ₹35 lakh for the performance but failed to deliver as expected.
The incident, which happened at the cultural evening of the historic 'Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair' in New Tehri, has also renewed interest in Mehndi's earnings and wealth.
The reported wealth of the singer is estimated around ₹124 crore. His monthly income is estimated at ₹40 lakh, while his annual income is pegged at ₹15 crore, according to Moneymint.com. He is also said to own miscellaneous assets valued at approximately ₹9.36 crore.
However, this is an unofficial estimate and has not been independently verified or confirmed by the singer.
What Uniyal claimed
Speaking to ANI, the Uttarakhand minister said the singer appeared disoriented and was allegedly lip-syncing instead of singing live.
"He is a big artist. If a big artist doesn't do justice to their art...He seemed disoriented on stage and didn't seem to be able to even keep standing. Besides this, he was only lip-syncing to his songs. I told him that he is a big artist and he should do justice to his art; he had been offered ₹35 lakh to come and perform, but he was not even singing. So, I expressed my resentment," Uniyal said.
During the on-stage exchange, the minister was also heard telling the singer, “You cannot even speak, so how are you going to sing?”
Uniyal also questioned whether Mehndi had maintained the decorum expected at the religious event, which was being held during Navratri. The minister alleged that the singer was under the influence of alcohol. These allegations have not been independently established.
Uttarakhand event controversy: Mika Singh, Kapil Sharma and Badshah defend Daler Mehndi
Mika Singh defended his elder brother Mehndi in an Instagram video on Tuesday, challenging claims that the 59-year-old singer was under the influence of alcohol during his Uttarakhand performance. He said Mehndi had remained a superstar for three decades and questioned whether anyone had ever seen him drinking. Mika also stated that artists sometimes honour performance commitments despite being unwell, including when they have a high fever.
Comedian Kapil Sharma shared Mika's post, revealing that Mehndi had recently undergone a serious surgery and urging people to be more considerate of others. Singer Badshah also slammed the public humiliation of Mehndi, describing him as a legend who deserved dignity and respect, particularly when dealing with health challenges.
Mehndi is known for hits such as "Tunak Tunak Tun", "Bolo Ta Ra", “Ho Jayegi Balle Balle” and others.
About the Author
Garvit Bhirani
Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X