Mumbai: Anupam Kher has defended Daler Mehndi after Uttarakhand Cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal accused the singer of being drunk on stage. Kher said he has known Mehndi for nearly 30 years and was disturbed by the way he was treated.
Uniyal interrupted Mehndi’s performance at the Kunjapuri Mela in Uttarakhand Sunday. He accused the singer of being drunk and complained that he was lip-syncing despite being paid Rs 35 lakh for the show.
In a reel posted Tuesday, Kher said he had watched the video while abroad. He wasn’t at the event and didn’t know what had happened there, but he knew Mehndi well.
“I have known Daler ji for the last 25 to 30 years, and I can say that he does not drink, as far as I know. He is one of the finest human beings I have met,” Kher said.
Kher also said Mehndi had been unwell for the past two to three years. He suggested that Mehndi may have performed despite being unwell because he didn’t want to back out of a commitment. Kher wasn’t sure whether he sang live or lip-synced, but said that was no excuse for the minister to speak to him that way.
“I just felt bad… nobody should speak to anybody like that. That also on an open forum. It’s not fair,” the actor said.
‘Get well soon’
Kher urged others in the industry to speak up.
“It’s not only Mika ji’s duty to defend his brother. We should all talk and take a stand for people that we know.”
Mika Singh had earlier denied that Mehndi was drunk. He said his brother had recently undergone surgery and offered to quit singing if anyone could prove that Mehndi drank alcohol. Kapil Sharma and Palash Sen have also supported the singer.
Kher ended his video with a message for Mehndi.
“I trust your judgment, your professionalism, your goodness, your greatness, and may God bless you; may you get well soon, because you are not well. I know that. And I’m sorry that you had to go through this.”
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
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