Kutle Khan has broken his silence on the controversy that arose over Shilpa Rao’s performance at the Bollywood Music Project (BMP) in Mumbai on October 24.

The singer, who faced criticism after her set began when Shilpa was trying to address the audience, has now shared her side of the story in a video on Instagram.

Clarifying that the incident was not his fault, Kutle said all the artists were given fixed time slots and he followed the instructions of the festival organisers.

“I would like to share my perspective on what actually happened there. All the respected artists who came to perform were scheduled and Shilpa’s schedule was also scheduled,” he said.

Shilpa’s performance suddenly came to a screeching halt when her microphone and stage lights went off.

At the same time, Kutley, who was scheduled to perform on an adjacent stage, began her set, drowning out her closing remarks.

The incident sparked a backlash against the organizers, with many expressing dismay at the way the singer was treated.

Addressing the microphone and lighting issue, Kutle said he had no idea how it happened and said it was not his team’s responsibility.

“During the performance, his microphone and lights were turned off. I don’t know how it happened, and it shouldn’t have happened at all. It definitely wasn’t from our side. Either the festival organizers or their engineers will know what went wrong,” he said.

The singer also revealed that his own performance was cut at the last minute. According to him, his original 20 minute slot was reduced to just eight minutes.

“Another thing is that the 20-minute set was shortened, and I was told that my set would be only eight minutes. I said no problem as I had to follow the instructions of the festival organizers. So I started my show with the allotted eight-minute set,” he added.

Kutle further explained what happened when Shilpa tried to address the crowd while performing. She said she stopped her set to speak to him and thank the audience.

“In the middle of my performance, Shilpa said from the other stage, ‘Mr. Kutle, you are singing well. I would like to thank the audience.’ I stopped my set to speak to him. While she was thanking the audience, I stopped performing,” she said.

However, he claimed he could hear someone instructing him to resume his performance through his in-ear monitor.

“I could hear through my in-ear monitor someone telling me, ‘Mr. Cutley, start, start.’ So I resumed my performance,” he explained.

Kutle also expressed dismay at the trolling that has been going on since the incident. He said that Shilpa was a close friend and someone he considered a sister, and urged people not to be directed towards negativity towards her.

He said, “Shilpa is a very good friend like a sister to me. The trolling and negativity that is being spread on social media right now is very unfortunate. It should not happen. I just want to make this clear. Thank you very much.”

What did Shilpa Rao say about the incident?

Admitting that the experience hurt him, he thanked the Mumbai audience for continuing to cheer for him even after the musical ended.

“Mumbai, a piece of my heart broke tonight. It’s so sad that something so beautiful was taken away from us like this. But even when the music stopped, you didn’t,” she wrote.

“The way you kept calling my name, the love in your voices, I could feel it all. I promise I will come back to Mumbai,” she added.

BMP organizers blame the schedule delay

Organizers of Bollywood Music Project have apologized for the way Shilpa Rao ended her set. In their statement, they said that they had a lot of respect for the singer and regretted that her performance could not go as planned.

“We sincerely apologize. At BMP, our mission has always been to provide an exceptional live music experience for our artists and their fans. We would like to address the sudden end of Shilpa Rao’s performance at this Saturday’s festival. First and foremost, we extend our deepest respect to Shilpa Rao,” the statement read.

Organizers also praised Shilpa Rao’s contribution to music, describing her presence at the festival as an honour.

“We deeply appreciate and respect his incredible legacy, his unparalleled artistry, and the profound impact he continues to have on the music industry. It was an absolute honor to have him in our lineup,” they added.

Explaining why the set ended early, the organizers pointed to the delay caused by past performances and restrictions that come with hosting a large-scale concert. He said the elaborate sets affected the schedule, while local authority regulations and venue curfews limited the time available.

“Large-scale music festivals involve complex logistics and multi-artist lineups. Despite rigorous planning and coordination. As our festivals operate under strict local authority guidelines and venue curfew regulations, these compounding delays unfortunately forced his set to end prematurely.”

Organizers said the delay was beyond their control but acknowledged the disappointment caused by the short showing.

The festival also featured performances by Himesh Reshammiya, Hariharan, Euphoria, Anu Malik and Shahid Mallya.

Also Read: Shilpa Rao’s husband Ritesh Krishnan slams organizers after curtailing singer’s performance