The controversy surrounding Shilpa Rao’s interrupted performance at Bollywood Music Project has taken another turnKutle Khan’s manager Sharad Sharma has disputed the claims against the singer and blamed scheduling delays on Himesh Reshammiya’s soundcheck.
Published: October 25, 2026, 4:45 PM IST
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Kutle Khan’s manager breaks silence on Shilpa Rao row (PC: Instagram)
A live music festival is meant to bring artists and audiences together, but a scheduling mishap at the Bollywood Music Project (BMP) in Mumbai has sparked a new controversy involving singers Shilpa Rao and Kutle KhanAfter videos of Shilpa’s performance being cut short surfaced online, several concertgoers criticised the organisers for the way her set endedThe incident drew further attention when Kutle Khan began performing as Shilpa was still on stage trying to address the audienceNow, Kutle Khan’s manager Sharad Sharma has shared his side of the story, disputing the claims that the folk singer interrupted Shilpa’s performanceHe has alleged that Shilpa interrupted Kutle Khan’s set to thank the audience and also pointed to delays involving another performer
Kutle Khan’s manager claims Shilpa Rao interrupted his performance
Speaking to News18, Sharad Sharma said the organisers had initially allotted each artist 15 to 20 minutes on stageHowever, according to him, Kutle Khan’s performance time was reduced to around 10 minutes because of scheduling issues.
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Sharma claimed that Kutle had already begun his set when Shilpa returned to the stage to thank the audienceHe alleged that the singer paused his performance to allow her to speak.
He said, “The festival team had allotted each artist 15-20 minutes onstageBut they chopped Khan saab’s performance time furtherHe was only given 10 minutesBut we were okay with it since they paid usShilpa finished her performance and left the stageOnce Khan saab began his set, she interrupted his performance and said that she would want to thank everyone.”
He further claimed that the situation was being presented differently on social media, with Kutle Khan being blamed for interrupting Shilpa’s farewell. According to Sharma, the singer had no personal issues with Shilpa and was simply following the organisers’ instructionsHe also maintained that the two artists shared a friendly relationship despite the controversy.
He further added “He stopped his performance for herThereafter, the festival organiser, Deepak Chaudhary, came to us and told Khan saab to sing Dil Pe Zakham Khate HainHe kept telling him ki start karo, start karoWe should instead be upset about his performance being disrupted by ShilpaShe should’ve thanked everyone at the end of her own performanceShe went backstage and then came back when Khan saab was halfway through his set.”
Sharad Sharma slams ‘Fake narratives’ around Shilpa Rao row
The manager also expressed his displeasure over the online discussion surrounding the incidentHe alleged that Shilpa’s public relations team was portraying Kutle Khan as responsible for cutting short her performance.
“Khan saab broke for her and she even told him that he’s doing a great jobWe hold no grudges against herArtists are like one big familyShilpa’s a good friend of usPar pata nahi unki PR team ne kya bakwaas kiyaEverything is possible on social media these daysWe can also pay a lakh and get narratives startedHumein nahi karna koi pagalpanLet them post as many things as they want on InstagramHer management team is trying to say that Khan saab interrrupted ShilpaIt’s Shilpa, in fact, who stopped him and started her thank-you noteWe simply did things as per the festival organiser because they paid usShilpa didn’t pay us.”
He added that Kutle Khan’s team had chosen not to engage in a similar social media campaign, while insisting that they held no grudge against Shilpa.
Kutle Khan’s manager blames Himesh Reshammiya’s soundcheck for BMP delays
Sharma also blamed delays involving Himesh Reshammiya’s soundcheck for affecting the festival’s scheduleHe alleged that the soundcheck lasted around three hours, leaving the organisers with less time for other performers.
He further shared, “This year, they got the permission for just one dayThat’s why they packed in all the artists on that one dayNaturally, limited time was given to everyoneHimesh ji took 3 hours for his sound checkUske wajaah se sabka time aur cut ho gayaKhan saab was supposed to do a 30-minute set initiallyAnd then we were told to reduce it to 8-10 minutesWe understand that Shilpa also bore the brunt of itAnd yet, we let her come in between his set.”
According to the manager, the delays resulted in shortened performance slots for several artists, including Shilpa Rao and Kutle KhanHe also suggested that the festival’s scheduling arrangements contributed to the situation.
Meanwhile, Shilpa expressed her disappointment after the incident, describing the experience as heartbreaking in a statement shared on InstagramShe thanked the Mumbai audience for continuing to support her even after her performance was cut short.
The Bollywood Music Project organisers later apologised for the abrupt conclusion of her set, attributing it to delays in the programme and venue curfew restrictions.
