Daler Mehndi was mid-performance at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri, Uttarakhand, on Sunday night when the show came to an abrupt halt. Cabinet minister and Narendra Nagar MLA Subodh Uniyal walked on stage, stopped the set, and accused the singer of being drunk in front of the crowd.
A clip of the moment has gone viral. In it, Mehndi appears visibly thrown as Uniyal questions why he is making a fool of the people and asks whether he is drunk. The allegation has not been confirmed.
Anupam Kher steps in for a friend
Days after the clip spread, Anupam Kher posted a video and a written note defending Mehndi. Kher said he has known the singer for 25 to 30 years and knows personally that he does not drink. He added that Mehndi has not been keeping well for two or three years.
“Nobody should speak to anybody like this and that also on a public forum,” Kher said. “This is not fair. To publicly accuse someone like this is wrong.”
Kher called Mehndi one of the finest people he has met and said he felt bad watching the video. He also urged the film industry to rally around the singer, whose on-stage treatment has already drawn criticism from brother Mika, comedian Kapil Sharma and rapper Badshah.
Why this is more than a viral clip
For celebrity-watchers, the clip is not just another stage moment. It is a live test of how public figures are corrected in public. Mehndi has spent decades as one of Indian pop’s most recognisable voices, known for tracks such as Tunak Tunak Tun, Bolo Ta Ra and Ho Jayegi Balle Balle. His shows usually work as big singalong moments, so seeing a politician halt one mid-song changes the energy completely.
There is a simple communication rule at play here: correct in private, praise in public. When that order is reversed, the correction itself becomes the story, and the original point gets lost.
The minister’s move, and the response
- Daler Mehndi was stopped mid-set at a Uttarakhand fair on Sunday night.
- Subodh Uniyal accused him of being drunk; the claim remains unconfirmed.
- Anupam Kher says he has known the singer 25 to 30 years and vouches that he does not drink.
- Mika, Kapil Sharma and Badshah have also criticised the public confrontation.
Kher had a direct message for Uniyal: if there was an issue with the performance, the same thing could have been said privately, with respect. That, more than the accusation itself, is where the industry’s pushback has landed. The report carries no further statement from the minister.
For now, the moment has become a reference point for how not to handle a live-event grievance. The stage may make the clip, but the private word is what protects the person.
Source: Hindustan Times
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