Celebrated playback singer Sonu Nigam finds himself at the center of controversy after remarks made during a recent concert in Bengaluru drew sharp backlash from Kannada-speaking audiences. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has now imposed a ban on the singer, prohibiting any future collaborations within the Kannada film industry.
The controversy erupted when Nigam, during a live performance, declined a student’s repeated request for a Kannada song and went on to compare the situation to the recent attacks in Kashmir—an analogy that many deemed highly insensitive and offensive.
The backlash was swift. The makers of the upcoming Kannada film Kuladalli Keelyavudo, which had earlier recorded a song with Nigam, announced that the track would be dropped from the film. In an official statement, the team said, “We cannot tolerate the insult Sonu Nigam has done to Kannada, so we have removed the song.”
The song is now set to be re-recorded by a different singer ahead of the film’s release.
In addition to the industry ban, an FIR was lodged against Nigam, and he is currently under investigation by Karnataka Police. Meanwhile, the 51-year-old singer issued an apology via social media, explaining that his comment was misinterpreted and emphasizing his deep respect for Kannada music.
Despite the clarification, the incident has sparked a wider conversation about cultural sensitivity and the responsibilities of public figures in multi-lingual India.