AICWA Condemns Shilpa Rao's Treatment At Mumbai’s Bollywood Music Project, Calls It ‘Completely Unacceptable’

The abrupt shutdown of Shilpa Rao’s performance at Mumbai’s Bollywood Music Project drew a sharp rebuke from the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), which called the episode "completely unacceptable". On Sunday, AICWA issued a statement on the incident, calling it "disrespect" to the National Award-Winning singer.

What AICWA said about Shilpa Rao incident

AICWA criticised the organisers and offered support to Rao if she chose to act.

The film body shared a statement on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle where it wrote that it "strongly condemns the treatment of National Award-winning singer Shilpa Rao during her live performance at the 10th edition of the Bollywood Music Project (BMP) in Mumbai on 24 October 2026."

"To treat an artist of her stature this way, on the stage of an anniversary edition, is a direct insult to her dignity and to the honour she has earned. When the mic and lights were switched off, the audience stood by Shilpa Rao and kept calling out her name," it stated further.

It warned organisers against repeating such conduct. "We ask the organisers to respect artists. If this behaviour continues, artists will refuse to perform at their events. Artists are invited to showcase their art. Paying for a performance does not mean owning the performer. Anyone who believes otherwise is mistaken, and that attitude is wrong. An artist wants respect, not humiliation. No artist should ever face such treatment on a live stage," the association stated.

"Forcibly cutting a performing artist's sound and lighting mid-show, and then handing the stage to another act, is completely unacceptable."

Shilpa Rao's reaction

On Saturday, Shilpa wrote about the incident and thanked the audience in Mumbai for standing by her. She said that "a piece of my heart broke" and "it hurts deeply to have something so beautiful taken away".

However, she also promised to return. "The way you kept calling my name, the love in your voices, I could feel it all. I promise I will come back to Mumbai," she said.

Organisers issue an apology

The organisers later issued an apology statement, saying they "deeply value and respect her incredible legacy, her unparalleled artistry, and the profound impact she continues to make on the music industry."

The organisers further stated that "live events can experience unpredictable operational shifts, including extended sets from earlier performances", adding, "Large-scale music festivals feature complex logistics and multi-artist lineups. Despite strict planning and coordination. Because our festivals operate under strict local authority guidelines and venue curfew regulations, these compounding delays unfortunately forced a premature end to her set."

"While these circumstances were entirely out of our control, we deeply regret that we could not showcase her performance in its entirety," they stated further.