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Daler Mehndi's audience was owed a performance. And he was owed respect

Mehndi may have failed his audience in Uttarakhand. But the minister failed to understand the dignity owed to an artiste

Mehndi has been a brilliant performer in the past. If he is unwell, he needs to be rested.

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4 min read Oct 22, 2026 07:47 PM IST First published on: Oct 22, 2026 at 07:09 PM IST

The stage has always been an unforgiving space. Yet there was something quite uneasy about watching popstar and Sufi singer Daler Mehndi being publicly hauled up over his recent performance at a Navratri event in Uttarakhand’s Tehri Garhwal. Subodh Uniyal, a state cabinet minister, publicly criticised the musician, alleging that he appeared intoxicated.…