Shilpa Rao Mumbai Concert: Kutle Khan's Manager Claims She Interrupted His Performance, Blames Himesh Reshammiya's 3-Hr Soundcheck For Delays

The Kutle Khan Project, a musical collective led by Rajasthani folk-Sufi singer Kutle Khan, faced criticism after Kutle interrupted singer Shilpa Rao as she thanked her fans, taking over the stage while her performance at The Bombay Music Project was Saturday (October 24) was cut short and her microphone was switched off. Amid the controversy, Kutle's manager claimed that Shilpa was the one who interrupted the performance, not Kutle, adding that Khan had even allowed her to thank her fans.

Shilpa Rao Interrupted Kutle Khan's Performance

Speaking to News18, Kutle's manager revealed that the festival organisers had allotted each artist 15-20 minutes on stage but further cut short Khan's performance, giving him just 10 minutes. However, the team agreed to the reduced time as they had been paid for the performance. According to the manager, Shilpa had finished her set and left the stage. But when Khan began his performance, she allegedly interrupted him, saying that she wanted to thank the audience.

'We Should Be Upset Instead'

He further claimed that Kutle even paused his performance to let Shilpa speak. However, when festival organiser Deepak Chaudhary approached them and asked Khan saab to sing Dil Pe Zakham Khate Hain, he repeatedly urged him to start, saying, "Start karo, start karo."

"We should instead be upset about his performance being disrupted by Shilpa. She should’ve thanked everyone at the end of her own performance. She went backstage and then came back when Khan saab was halfway through his set," said the manager.

'Shilpa Rao Ki PR Ne Bakwaas Kiya'

Kutle Khan’s manager also slammed what he described as a false narrative against the singer, asserting that they held no grudges against Shilpa despite the controversy. He added that artists were like one big family and emphasised that Shilpa was a good friend of Kutle.

He stated, "Par pata nahi unki PR team ne kya bakwaas kiya. Everything is possible on social media these days. We can also pay a lakh and get narratives started."

Kutle Khan's Manager Blames Himesh Reshammiya For Delays

Kutle’s manager also blamed Himesh Reshammiya’s three-hour soundcheck for the delays, claiming it affected the festival’s schedule and led to artists’ performance slots being cut short. He revealed that Kutle Khan was initially supposed to perform for 30 minutes, but his set was eventually reduced to just 8–10 minutes.

Shilpa Rao Issues Statement

Following the incident, Shilpa shared a statement expressing that she was "hurt" by what had transpired and promised to return to Mumbai with a show of her own.

Subsequently, the organisers of the Bombay Music Project issued a clarification, apologising to the singer for the abrupt end to her performance.