Shilpa Rao Mic Cut Row: AICWA Condemns BMP ‘Humiliation’
Singer Shilpa Rao’s performance at the Bollywood Music Project (BMP) in Mumbai was cut short on Saturday, October 24, after her microphone was switched off midway through her set — and the incident has now snowballed into a full-blown industry row. The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has condemned what it called the “humiliation” of the National Award-winning singer and offered her legal support if she chooses to act against the organisers.
What happened on stage?
Rao was one of the featured performers at the festival’s 10th-anniversary edition at Jio World Gardens, Mumbai, headlined by Himesh Reshammiya. During her set, production delays disrupted the performance before her microphone was switched off midway. According to AICWA’s statement, the lights were also switched off.
Rao attempted to thank the audience for their patience, but her closing remarks were also cut short as the next act, the Kutle Khan Project, began performing while she was still on stage. She was left unable to conclude her performance as planned.
Rao’s emotional note to Mumbai
After the event, Rao shared an emotional note on Instagram. “Mumbai, a little piece of my heart broke tonight,” she wrote. “It hurts deeply to have something so beautiful taken away from us like this.”
She thanked the audience for continuing to cheer for her even after the music stopped. “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,” she wrote, promising: “I promise, I will come back. I love you, Mumbai. Forever and ever.”
What did the organisers say?
The Bollywood Music Project organisers later apologised to Rao, her team and the audience. In their statement, they attributed the premature end of Rao’s set to delays that had accumulated during the event, saying large-scale festivals involve complex logistics and multiple artists, and that local authority guidelines and venue curfew regulations had restricted their options.
However, the explanation did not settle the debate. Several attendees questioned the festival’s time management and asked why Rao had not been given enough time to conclude her performance and thank the audience.
Why is Himesh Reshammiya’s set part of the row?
Reshammiya’s set became another talking point because he reportedly continued performing beyond the venue’s 10 pm curfew. The headliner performed several of his popular tracks, including ‘Naam Hai Tera’, ‘Hookah Bar’ and ‘Aashiq Banaya Aapne’, and his microphone was reportedly switched off at around 10:13 pm — after he had continued beyond the stated cut-off.
The contrast has fuelled the controversy: if the festival was running late and curfew rules were strict, fans and industry voices are asking, how were decisions made about which performances could continue and which had to end?
AICWA steps in
In a statement posted on X, AICWA said it was unacceptable to cut an artist’s sound and lights mid-show and then hand the stage to another act. “AICWA condemns, in the harshest terms, the humiliation the Bollywood Music Project inflicted on National Award-winning singer Shilpa Rao while she was performing live on stage. Such behaviour towards an artist will never be tolerated,” the statement read.
The body went further, saying it would support Rao through every legal avenue if she chose to act, and warning that if such behaviour continues, artists could refuse to perform at the organisers’ events. “If any artist is mistreated in the future, AICWA will take strict action against those responsible, as per the law,” it said.
Why the row matters beyond one night
The incident has sparked a wider conversation about how live music festivals in India treat performers — particularly when schedules slip. For Rao, a singer known for hits across Bollywood soundtracks, the night was meant to be a celebration with her Mumbai audience. Instead, it ended with her story, in her own words, “left unfinished”.
For the industry, AICWA’s intervention raises the stakes: organisers now face not just social media backlash but the prospect of formal action and artist boycotts if similar incidents recur.
For more showbiz coverage, read about the Pakistani song ‘Majboor’ getting a global DJ remix here: https://ntmnews.online/?p=1994 and Rabya Kulsoom’s take on Bollywood’s portrayal of Pakistani men here: https://ntmnews.online/?p=1946
Sources: Gulf News, WIO News, Mathrubhumi English, Times Now and News9 Live reports, October 25, 2026.