Actor Anupam Kher has criticised the public humiliation of Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi after his performance at a cultural event in Uttarakhand was cut short by a minister who accused him of being drunk. Kher condemned the public allegations, saying that such accusations against an individual were unacceptable.
Mehndi, best known for songs such as Tunak Tunak Tun, Bolo Ta Ra and Ho Jayegi Balle Balle, was performing at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri on Sunday night when Uttarakhand Cabinet minister and Narendra Nagar MLA Subodh Uniyal interrupted him.
Uniyal reportedly walked onto the stage, halted the performance and alleged that the singer was intoxicated. The claim could not be independently verified.
A video of the incident, which has circulated widely on social media, shows Mehndi appearing bewildered as the minister reprimands him. “Why are you making a fool of the people? Are you drunk? You can’t even speak, so how are you going to sing?” Uniyal is heard asking in the clip.
Coming out in support of Mehndi, Kher described the singer as one of the finest people he had met and said he knew him personally. The actor also claimed that Mehndi does not consume alcohol and has been unwell over the past few years.
“Couple of days ago, I saw a video in which Daler Mehndi ji was singing on stage and some minister got up and spoke to him insultingly. I wasn't there so I don't know but I've known Daler ji for 25 to 30 years. I know that he does not drink and he is one of the finest human beings that I have met. I personally know that he has not been keeping well for two-three years,” Kher said in a video shared on X.
The veteran actor also posted a lengthy note on the platform, expressing his distress over the way Mehndi had been treated in public. He stressed that disagreements over a performance did not justify humiliating an artist before an audience.
“Nobody should speak to anybody like this and that also on a public forum. This is not fair. To publicly accuse someone like this is wrong. Daler ji I am so sorry,” Kher wrote.
Kher urged members of the film industry to stand by Mehndi following the incident. The singer had already received support from his brother Mika Singh, comedian Kapil Sharma, rapper Badshah and singer Harshdeep Kaur, who criticised the treatment meted out to him.
Addressing Uniyal directly, Kher said the minister could have raised any concerns privately rather than confronting the singer on stage.
“Minister ji, you might have an issue with his performance. You might even be upset. But was it necessary to go up on stage and humiliate him like that in front of everyone? The same thing could have been said to him privately, with respect,” the actor said.