The 10th-anniversary edition of the Bollywood Music Project took place at Mumbai’s Jio World Gardens on October 24, 2026. The festival featured several well-known performers, including Shilpa Rao, Himesh Reshammiya, Anu Malik, Hariharan, Euphoria, Roop Kumar Rathod and Neeraj Shridhar. But what was meant to be a celebration of Bollywood music became a talking point after Shilpa’s performance was abruptly stopped and fans accused the organisers of disrespecting the singer.
What happened during Shilpa Rao’s performance?
Shilpa was scheduled to perform from around 7.45 pm to 8.15 pm, but she reportedly took the stage at around 8.30 pm as the event fell behind schedule. She began with Tose Naina Lage from Anwar, but her microphone stopped working
towards the end of the song. A crew member brought her another microphone, and she continued performing.
According to a report in Bollywood Hungama, the singer reportedly told the cheering audience, “I don’t need a mic. You guys are my voice!” The crowd continued supporting her as she performed songs including Tere Hawaale, Khuda Jaane, Woh Ajnabee and Chuttamalle. Singer Rish also joined her on stage for Barbaad from Saiyaara.
However, the problems did not end there. After Shilpa performed Chuttamalle from Devara, her microphone was switched off again and the main stage lights went out. At the same time, Kutle Khan and his band, The Kutle Khan Project, began performing on the second stage. Shilpa was still on stage when the next act started, leaving the audience confused and angry.
The audience began chanting Shilpa’s name, demanding that she be allowed to finish. Her microphone was switched back on briefly, giving her a chance to address the crowd while Kutle Khan’s performance at BMP continued on the adjacent stage.
Shilpa tried to be gracious towards the other performer, telling him, “Kutle ji, main ek line bol ke nikal jaungi, theek hai? Aap bahut accha gaa rahe ho. Aap bahut sahi gaa rahe ho.”
She then explained why she wanted to speak before leaving. “I just wanted to say bye. I can’t leave without saying bye. Woh nahin gaane de rahe.” The audience reportedly booed as the situation unfolded.
Shilpa attempted to thank her fans for their patience and support, saying, “But I’ll say one thing. You guys made 15-20 minutes of my performance amazing. After a long time, I have performed in Mumbai.” Her microphone was switched off again before she could finish speaking. She made a heart sign, blew a kiss to the audience and left the stage as fans continued chanting her name.
Shilpa Rao says she was heartbroken
After the event, Shilpa took to Instagram to express how deeply the experience had affected her. She thanked the Mumbai audience for standing by her even after the music stopped and said their support had meant a great deal to her.
“Mumbai, a little piece of my heart broke tonight. It hurts deeply to have something so beautiful taken away from us like this. But even when the music stopped, you did not. The way you kept calling my name, the love in your voices. I could feel it all. Our story tonight was left unfinished. I promise, I will come back I love you, Mumbai. Forever and ever.”
Fans rallied behind the singer, with many arguing that a performer should be allowed to finish her set and say goodbye to the audience. Comments shared online described the incident as poor management and questioned why an artist who had drawn such a strong response from the crowd was not given time to conclude her performance.
One attendee also questioned the organisers’ explanation, pointing out that Anu Malik and Euphoria had reportedly been allowed to extend their sets. Others criticised the repeated microphone problems and the decision to begin the next act while Shilpa was still trying to address the audience.
Bollywood Music Project issues an apology
Following the backlash, the Bollywood Music Project issued a public apology on Instagram. The organisers said they regretted the abrupt conclusion of Shilpa’s performance and stressed that they held the singer and her work in high regard.
They explained that large music festivals involve complex schedules and multiple performers, and that delays from earlier sets can affect the rest of the programme. They also cited local authority guidelines and venue curfew restrictions as reasons they could not allow Shilpa’s performance to continue as planned.
The statement said: “Because our festivals operate under strict local authority guidelines and venue curfew regulations, these compounding delays unfortunately forced a premature end to her set. While these circumstances were entirely out of our control, we deeply regret that we could not showcase her performance in its entirety.”
The organisers at BMP apologised to Shilpa Rao, her team and the fans who had come to watch her. They said they shared the audience’s disappointment, but the explanation did not settle the debate over how the festival had managed its running order.
Why Himesh Reshammiya’s performance became part of the controversy
The organisers’ explanation came under further scrutiny because Himesh Reshammiya, the festival’s headliner, performed beyond the reported 10 pm cut-off later that night. His set was scheduled for 8.30 pm to 10 pm but began late because of delays earlier in the evening. He performed several of his popular songs, including Naam Hai Tera, Hookah Bar and Aashiq Banaya Aapne.
Himesh also brought his wife, Sonia Kapoor, on stage and invited Ayushmann Khurrana to join him as a surprise guest. His microphone was reportedly switched off at around 10.13 pm, although he remained on stage with singer Pragati Nagpal for a few more minutes before leaving.
Kutle Khan’s team blames Shilpa Rao for interruption
Meanwhile, speaking exclusively to News18, Kutle Khan’s team broke silence on the BMP controversy. Sharad Sharma, his manager, tells us, “The festival team had allotted each artist 15-20 minutes onstage. But they chopped Khan saab’s performance time further. He was only given 10 minutes. But we were okay with it since they paid us. Shilpa finished her performance and left the stage. Once Khan saab began his set, she interrupted his performance and said that she would want to thank everyone.”
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