Several members of the Hindi and Punjabi film industries have extended their support to veteran Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi amid the ‘drunk’ claims during a live performance at the Kunjapuri Mela in Tehri, Uttarakhand. Actor Rajpal Yadav has also come out in support of the singer, clarifying that he has been struggling with health issues.
Rajpal Yadav defends Daler Mehndi amid on-stage ‘drunk’ allegations
In a video message on Instagram, Rajpal Yadav speaks in Hindi. His statement roughly translates to, “As a student of art, I want to share something with you. The way a respected minister said hurtful things and used indecent language against a legendary singer whose voice has touched people for decades does not suit someone holding such a position.”
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A post shared by Rajpal Naurang Yadav (@rajpalofficial)
The actor further added, “It seemed like you bought the art itself, which simply cannot be bought. Art is life, and you should respect life. And for your information, I will tell you that Daler Paaji does not drink alcohol. I have worked with him in Welcome To The Jungle. He is suffering from ill health, and people are trying to help him recover. The throne may come and go, but art will always hold a higher place, so you should respect it. God bless you.”
What is Daler Mehndi controversy?
Daler Mehndi was criticised by Uttarakhand cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal on stage during the cultural evening at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri, Uttarakhand, on Sunday night. The minister expressed displeasure over the singer’s conduct on stage and said, “You cannot even speak, so how are you going to sing?” hinting that the singer was drunk.
Later, in an interview with ANI, Subodh stated that Daler had been paid Rs 35 lakh for his performance at the Navratri event. “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,” he said.
Following the incident, several celebrities, including Anupam Kher, Sona Mohapatra, Badshah, Mika Singh and others, have stood in support of Daler and slammed the minister’s behaviour towards the legendary singer on stage.
