Was it necessary to go up on stage and humiliate him like that: Anupam Kher on Daler Mehndi row

Was it necessary to go up on stage and humiliate him like that: Anupam Kher on Daler Mehndi row

New Delhi, To publicly accuse someone like this is wrong, said actor Anupam Kher as he defended Daler Mehndi after the Punjabi singer's performance at a cultural event was interrupted midway by a politician who accused him of being drunk.

Was it necessary to go up on stage and humiliate him like that: Anupam Kher on Daler Mehndi row

Mehndi, known for hits such as "Tunak Tunak Tun", "Bolo Ta Ra", "Ho Jayegi Balle Balle" and others, was performing at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in Uttarakhand's New Tehri on Sunday night when Cabinet minister and Narendra Nagar MLA Subodh Uniyal expressed his displeasure with the singer's performance.

The minister went up to the stage, stopped the performance and alleged that the singer was inebriated. The allegations, however, could not be confirmed.

A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. In the video, Mehndi appeared lost as Uniyal shouted at 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," the minister is heard saying in the video.

"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 on X.

The veteran actor also shared a lengthy note on the social media platform, saying that he felt bad after seeing the video of Mehndi being humiliated publicly.

"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," he said.

Kher urged the film industry to come out in support of Mehndi, whose humiliation at the event had drawn criticism from his brother Mika, comedian Kapil Sharma and rapper Badshah.

The veteran actor also had a message for Uniyal.

"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," Kher said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.