‘This is disrespect to art’: Sonu Nigam speaks out on politicians leaving shows early

NEW DELHI: Singer Sonu Nigam has made a public appeal to politicians in India, urging them to refrain from attending performances if they cannot stay for the entire event.

His request follows an incident at the Rising Rajasthan event on Monday, where several political dignitaries reportedly left his performance midway.

The singer, who is known for his soulful renditions of Bollywood hits like ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ and ‘Abhi Mujhme Kahin’, expressed his disappointment in a video posted on his social media.

In the video, he shared his perspective on the incident, where multiple political leaders, including the Chief Minister (CM) of Rajasthan and other key figures, left his performance halfway through.

“Delegates came from all over the world to enhance the pride of Rajasthan. There was a CM, a youth minister, and a sports minister. There were a lot of people. I could not see all of them in the dark. There were a lot of people,” Sonu explained, setting the context of the event.

The singer expressed his dismay upon noticing that the CM and several other dignitaries left the performance early.

“In the middle of the show, I saw that the CM and the rest of the people left. As soon as they left, all the delegates also left. I have a request to all politicians: if you do not respect your artists, then what will the people outside do?”

Sonu stated, voicing his frustration with the lack of respect shown toward the performers.

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A post shared by Sonu Nigam (@sonunigamofficial)

Nigam, who has long been a prominent figure in Indian music, further elaborated on the importance of respecting the artist’s time and effort. “If you have to leave, then please do not come. Or leave before the show starts. Leaving in the middle of an artist’s performance is very disrespectful. This is an insult to Maa Saraswati,” he said, referencing the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, and arts, whose respect he believes is integral to the cultural fabric of India.

In his message, Sonu made a direct and respectful appeal to the politicians. “If you are leaving, then this is not the end of art. I have a request to you, if you have to leave, then leave before the show starts. Do not sit. You are great. You have a lot of work. You handle all the responsibilities. You should not waste your time in a show. You should leave early. Thank you. Very humbly, I request all of you,” he added.

Sharing the video, he wrote, “A humble request to all the respected Politicians of India, kindly don’t attend any performance of any artiste if you have to abruptly leave mid way. This is disrespect to Art and Artistes and Maa Sarasvati.”

Many fans and industry colleagues chimed into the comments section to show their support for the topic highlighted by Sonu Nigam.One fan wrote, “Thank you for bringing this to everyone’s notice…”
While another commented, “Taking a stand politely, humbly and to the point. This, amongst the many other things, is why I love you!” (ANI)