Bollywood Music Project Apologises After Shilpa Rao's Set Is Cut Short In Mumbai
The festival's tenth edition at Jio World Garden ran late on Saturday and the organisers blamed curfew rules. Kutle Khan's manager now says it was Khan's set that was interrupted.
Shilpa Rao's set at the tenth Bollywood Music Project in Mumbai ended early on Saturday 24 October, when her microphone was switched off as the evening at Jio World Garden in BKC ran behind schedule.
Rao posted on Instagram that night. "Mumbai, a little piece of my heart broke tonight," she wrote. "Our story tonight was left unfinished. I promise, I will come back."
The organisers apologised on the festival's official Instagram account soon after midnight. They said earlier sets had run long. "Because our festivals operate under strict local authority guidelines and venue curfew regulations, these compounding delays unfortunately forced a premature end to her set," the statement said. "We extend our sincerest apologies to Shilpa Rao, her team and most importantly, to her dedicated fans who came out to support her."
On Sunday the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) issued a statement on its official X account. It said Rao's microphone and lights were switched off while she was on stage and called this "completely unacceptable". It said it would support her if she chose to act against the organisers.
Some festival-goers criticised folk singer Kutle Khan online after his set began on the next stage while Rao was still saying goodbye. His manager, Sharad Sharma, gives a different account. He told News18 on Sunday that Khan's slot had already been cut to 10 minutes, and that Rao had finished, gone backstage and then come back to thank the crowd after Khan had started. "He stopped his performance for her," Sharma said. "We hold no grudges against her."
Sharma said festival organiser Deepak Chaudhary had then asked Khan to carry on singing. He put the day's delays down to a sound check by headliner Himesh Reshammiya that he said ran three hours, and to the festival having permission for only one day this year, which put every act on the same bill.
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The festival has not responded publicly to the AICWA statement or to Sharma's account. Reshammiya has not commented on the sound check claim, and Rao has not said anything beyond her Instagram post.
Updated 25 October 2026, 11.55 pm IST. Added the account given by Kutle Khan's manager to News18.
This report is based on publicly available information. We will update it as more is confirmed.
(Source: Bollywood Music Project official Instagram statement, Shilpa Rao official Instagram, AICWA official statement, News18)
