New Delhi: In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April, Salman Khan has postponed the UK tour of his show, The Bollywood Big One. And he’s not the only star to hit a pause button. As many as eight live events and screenings across India have been either cancelled or rescheduled as the entertainment industry stopped to process the horror of the attack
Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit Singh offered condolences to the families of the victims on social media. Comedian and actor Kevin Hart, who was set to perform in Delhi on 30 April as part of his world tour, also cancelled the show.
“Due to the recent tragic events, Kevin Hart’s Delhi show will be rescheduled. While we were looking forward to gathering with all of you, we believe it’s important to pause and stand in solidarity with those affected,” District by Zomato announced on social media, while promising full refunds on tickets. The organisers are in talks with Kevin to reschedule and find a new date for the event.
Series of cancellations
Salman Khan shared the update regarding the show on his Instagram handle. Starring Madhuri Dixit, Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon, Sara Ali Khan, Varun Dhawan, and Sunil Grover, it was slated to run on 4 and 5 May in London and Manchester.
“While we understand how much our fans were looking forward to these performances, we feel it is only right to pause during this time of grief. We sincerely apologise for any disappointment or inconvenience this may cause and deeply appreciate your understanding and support. New dates for the shows will be announced shortly,” Khan wrote on his handle.
Shreya Ghoshal’s Surat concert on 26 April at the Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium, part of her All Hearts Tour, was called off as well. And, singer Arijit Singh too cancelled his Chennai concert scheduled for 27 April. He shared a note from the organisers on his Instagram stories. “In light of the recent and tragic events, the organisers, along with the artist, have collectively made the decision to cancel the upcoming show scheduled to happen in Chennai this Sunday, April 27th,” read the note.
Singer Papon too followed suit and cancelled his 26 April concert in Ahmedabad, as did music composer Anirudh Ravichander who was set to perform in Bengaluru last week as part of his Hukum Tour.
These cancellations have also moved beyond just live events or music concerts.
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A wave of solidarity
Singer and rapper AP Dhillon announced the postponement of his upcoming album release. The artist’s decision adds to the growing wave of solidarity from the entertainment industry, as musicians and actors alike pause their projects to mourn the lives lost. Actor Aamir Khan decided to not attend a special screening of his 1994 cult classic Andaz Apna Apna that re-released on 24 April.
“I was reading reports about what happened at Pahalgam in Kashmir. I have been badly affected by the senseless killing of innocents. I was in no state to go (to the preview). I will see it sometime later this week,” said the actor in an interview.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)