New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI): Singer Sona Mohapatra has questioned whether respect for veteran artists should come at the cost of professional accountability.
She shared her experience of watching Daler Mehndi perform at a Sufi festival in New Delhi, days after the singer faced backlash over his performance at a cultural event in Uttarakhand.
The controversy began after Uttarakhand Cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal interrupted Daler during his performance at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri on Sunday. A video of the incident went viral, drawing reactions from several singers, including Mika Singh and Badshah, who came out in support of Daler.
Amid the debate, Sona shared a post on Instagram to share her experience of watching the veteran singer perform at the second edition of the Sufi Heritage Festival at Delhi’s Sunder Nursery in March.
Sona said she had stayed back in Delhi after her own performance to watch Daler, who was scheduled to close the festival the following evening. She said she and her team were looking forward to hearing the singer perform a Sufi-based set.
Recalling the performance, Sona wrote, “From where we watched, Daler ji appeared disoriented, struggled to hold a note and kept repeating the same musical phrase. The overall production was also deeply disappointing. We watched audience members gradually leave, people who had paid good money and come with great expectations.”
She also spoke about the organisers’ efforts and said she felt for them, given the time, money and work that goes into putting together a live event. However, she said she could not comment on whether Daler’s management or family knew about the difficulties before the show.
While acknowledging Daler’s contribution to music, Sona said an artist’s legacy should not take away from the expectations of those who pay to watch a performance.
She said that if an artist is unwell, the situation should be handled with care and honesty. Sona added that audiences and organisers should not have to bear the “consequences” without a clear explanation.
“Two things can be true. A veteran deserves dignity, empathy and gratitude for a lifetime of contribution. And an audience deserves an honest performance, or at the very least, an honest acknowledgement when that is no longer possible. If someone is unwell, there must be compassion and a responsible way to handle the situation. What cannot become acceptable is for audiences and organisers to repeatedly bear the consequences while everyone around the artist looks away,” she wrote.
The singer also said she was speaking as a fellow artist and understood that her comments could draw criticism. She stressed that respect for an artist should go both ways and should not mean avoiding questions about their professional responsibilities.
“I ask this as a fellow performing artist, fully aware that I may be criticised for saying it. Respect is not a one-way entitlement. It is a relationship of reciprocity. Age, legacy and stature deserve reverence. They do not exempt any of us from professional accountability. And those of us who remained silent that evening, myself included, need to ask whether our well-intentioned deference helped anyone at all. I share this with sadness, not malice. And with genuine respect for the extraordinary legacy of Daler Mehndi ji. But surely, we owe our audiences some respect too?” she added.
Daler was performing at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri when minister Subodh Uniyal interrupted him and questioned his performance.
In a video of the incident, the minister was heard saying, “You can’t even speak properly, so how do you expect to sing? We invited you to entertain our people, but you are making a mockery of us. This is not right. You have a big name and reputation, and that is why you were invited. You should respect that.”
Allegations later surfaced on social media that Daler was under the influence of alcohol and struggling to sing. These claims have not been independently verified. Mika Singh came out in support of Daler following the incident.
Uniyal later told ANI that the singer had been lip-syncing and said he had questioned him because he expected a well-known artist to do justice to his work. The minister also claimed that Daler had been paid Rs 35 lakh for the performance and said he was unhappy because the singer was not singing live. (ANI)
