Daler Mehndi row: Sona Mohapatra recalls singer’s ‘disappointing’ Delhi show amid Uttarakhand controversy

Singer Sona Mohapatra has joined the debate surrounding Daler Mehndi’s controversial performance in Uttarakhand, but her account goes back several months.

Mohapatra has revealed that she was disappointed by the veteran singer’s performance at a Delhi music festival in March 2026. She has also questioned why fellow artists often remain silent when a performance fails to meet the audience’s expectations.

In a personal statement shared amid the controversy, Mohapatra said she did not want to disrespect a senior artist. However, she believes that respect for an artist’s legacy should not come at the cost of professional responsibility.

Her remarks come after a public confrontation between Daler Mehndi and Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal at a cultural event in Tehri district. The incident has triggered a debate over the treatment of veteran performers, the expectations of paying audiences and the responsibility of artists who accept professional engagements.

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Sona Mohapatra recalls Daler Mehndi’s March performance

Mohapatra said she headlined the opening evening of the Sufi Heritage Festival at Delhi’s Sunder Nursery on February 28, 2026. Daler Mehndi was scheduled to perform on the second evening, March 1.

According to Mohapatra, artists usually leave soon after their own performances because of their travel schedules. However, the festival organisers, Yasmin Kidwai and Himanshu Anand, accommodated her team’s request to stay for another night.

She said they were excited to watch Mehndi perform a set that they had been told would be different and focused on Sufi music.

The festival, held on February 28 and March 1, brought together music, poetry, dance, crafts and storytelling. Its programme included established performers as well as artists exploring different interpretations of Sufi traditions.

But, Mohapatra said, the performance left her disappointed.

From where she was watching, Mehndi appeared disoriented, struggled to hold notes and repeatedly sang the same musical phrase. She also criticised the overall production.

Mohapatra recalled seeing audience members gradually leave the venue. She said people had paid for their tickets and arrived with high expectations, only to walk away disappointed.

She also remembered the disbelief among members of her own team. However, nobody confronted the situation or publicly questioned what they had witnessed.

‘Was that really respect?’ Singer questions industry silence

Mohapatra said she felt particularly sorry for the organisers, who had invested money, time, effort and their professional reputations in the event.

She added that she did not know whether the people representing Mehndi, including his management or family, had been aware of any difficulties before the show.

The singer was careful not to draw conclusions about Mehndi’s personal circumstances or health. She said she had no knowledge that would allow her to explain what she witnessed.

Mohapatra argued that the entertainment industry must be willing to discuss such situations without turning them into opportunities to humiliate artists publicly. In her view, staying silent simply because someone is a respected veteran can leave audiences and organisers bearing the consequences.

What happened at the Uttarakhand event?

The controversy erupted on October 18, during the annual Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri, Uttarakhand.

Mehndi was performing when state Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal walked onto the stage and questioned his ability to sing. A video of the confrontation went viral on social media, showing the minister objecting to the singer’s performance.

Uniyal alleged that Mehndi appeared intoxicated, struggled to stand properly and was lip-syncing instead of singing live. These allegations have not been independently established.

The minister later said Mehndi had been offered ₹35 lakh for the performance, apart from travel and accommodation expenses. He argued that the singer had a responsibility to deliver the performance expected of him. The event took place during Navratri, which also formed part of the minister’s objection to what he described as a failure to maintain the occasion’s decorum.

• Daler Mehndi
• Sona Mohapatra