Anupam Kher has spoken out in support of the Punjabi singer following an incident at a Uttarakhand event, urging members of the entertainment industry to stand by him.
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Anupam Kher defends Daler Mehndi amid performance row (PC: Twitter)
Veteran actor Anupam Kher has spoken out in support of singer Daler Mehndi after a video of his confrontation with Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal during a live performance surfaced onlineThe incident has drawn attention after questions were raised about the singer’s performance and alleged alcohol consumptionKher, who has known Mehndi for several years, expressed disappointment over the way the singer was addressed in front of an audienceHe said that even if there were concerns about the performance, they could have been discussed privately instead of turning the moment into a public reprimandThe actor also urged members of the entertainment industry to stand by the singer.
Anupam Kher questions public humiliation of Daler Mehndi
In a video shared on social media on October 21, Anupam Kher explained why the incident upset him, Kher shared a message highlighting the importance of treating artists with dignityHe questioned whether it was necessary to reprimand the singer publicly when any concerns could have been discussed in a private conversation.
“Ek-do din pehle ek video dekha, jismein koi mantri ji stage par Daler Mehndi ji se jis tarah baat kar rahe the, use dekhkar bahut dukh hua.
Main Daler ji ko bahut saalon se jaanta hoonYeh bhi jaanta hoon ki pichhle kuch samay se unki tabiyat theek nahi rahi haiMantri ji, aapko unki performance se shikayat ho sakti haiNarazgi bhi ho sakti haiLekin sabke saamne stage par jaakar is tarah unhe apmaanit karna zaroori tha kya? Yahi baat unse alag baithkar, izzat se bhi toh kahi ja sakti thi.”
See complete viral video of Anupam Kher here
एक-दो दिन पहले एक वीडियो देखा, जिसमें कोई मंत्री जी मंच पर दलेर मेहंदी जी से जिस तरह बात कर रहे थे, उसे देखकर बहुत दुख हुआ।
मैं दलेर जी को बहुत सालों से जानता हूँ। यह भी जानता हूँ कि पिछले कुछ समय से उनकी तबीयत ठीक नहीं रही है। मंत्री जी, आपको उनकी प्रस्तुति से शिकायत हो सकती है। नाराज़गी भी हो सकती है। लेकिन सबके सामने मंच पर जाकर इस तरह उन्हें अपमानित करना ज़रूरी था क्या? यही बात उनसे अलग बैठकर, इज़्ज़त से भी तो कही जा सकती थी।
एक कलाकार अपनी मेहनत से जो पहचान और सम्मान कमाता है, उसके पीछे पूरी ज़िंदगी लगी होती है। दलेर जी ने पिछले तीस-पैंतीस सालों से अपने गानों से हम सबको ख़ुशी दी है। उस योगदान की कुछ तो क़द्र होनी चाहिए।
दलेर जी, मैंने आपको हमेशा एक नेकदिल, प्यार बाँटने वाले इंसान के रूप में जाना है। जहाँ तक मैं आपको जानता हूँ, आप शराब भी नहीं पीते। आपको यह सब सहना पड़ा, इसका मुझे बहुत अफ़सोस है।
अपनी इंडस्ट्री के साथियों से भी कहना चाहूँगा—जो लोग दलेर जी को जानते हैं, वे अपनी बात ज़रूर रखें। उनके साथ खड़े हों। किसी के अच्छे स्वभाव के बारे में, उसकी इंसानियत के बारे में अपने अनुभव से दो शब्द कहना भी बहुत मायने रखता है। ऐसे वक़्त में एक साथी के लिए इतना तो हम कर ही सकते हैं।
दलेर जी, आप बेहतरीन कलाकार हैं और उतने ही प्यारे इंसान भी। अपना ख़याल रखिए। भगवान आपको अच्छी सेहत दे। मेरा प्यार और सम्मान हमेशा आपके साथ है। ❤️— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) October 20, 2026
Anupam Kher defends Daler Mehndi amid alcohol claims
He also spoke about his personal experience of knowing Daler Mehndi and said that the singer had not been keeping well for the past two to three yearsKher also made it clear that, as far as he knew, Mehndi did not consume alcohol.
“He does not drink, as far as I knowHe is one of the finest human beings that I have met,” Kher said while expressing his concern over the incidentThe actor acknowledged that there could have been questions about the singer’s performanceHowever, he felt that such concerns did not justify speaking to someone disrespectfully in front of a crowdKher also suggested that Mehndi might have honoured his professional commitment despite health issues.
“Yeh bhi ho sakta hai ki unhone lip-sync kiya ho, but I just felt badNobody should speak to anybody like that, that too in an open forumYeh fair nahi hai, aur iss tarah se publicly lanchan lagana galat hai.”
Anupam Kher urges the entertainment industry to support Daler Mehndi
Kher also appealed to people from the entertainment industry who know Mehndi personally to speak about their experiences and stand by himHe stressed that supporting the singer should not be left to just one or two peopleAccording to the actor, sharing positive experiences about someone’s character and kindness can make a difference when they are facing public criticism.
He also addressed Mehndi directly, expressing regret that the singer had to go through the experienceKher praised his professionalism and character while wishing him a speedy recovery.
