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The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Sonu Nigam responds to Kannada song row: I am entitled to take offence
After explaining his side of the story about the ongoing controversy through a video, Sonu Nigam took to social media on May 05, 2025 (Monday) to further justify his statements that have earned him backlash from the people of Karnataka. The popular playback singer was slammed by people on social media after he turned down the demand of a fan to sing a Kannada song during his recent concert at East Point College in Virgonagar, Bengaluru. Sonu Nigam wrote 'I am not a young lad to take humiliation from anyone.' He further wrote, 'I am 51 years old, in the second half of my life and am entitled to take offence for someone as young as my son threatening me directly in front of thousands in the name of language, that too Kannada, which is my second language when it comes to my work, that too right after my first song of the concert! He provoked a few more. Their own people were embarrassed and were asking them to shut up.' During his performance, Sonu responded to the demand saying he didn't like the tone of the concerned person from the crowd and compared the incident to the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The singer's reference to a terror attack irked Kannadigas, resulting in a case being booked on him by a pro-Kannada outfit for 'inciting language hatred.' Elaborating on his Pahalgam reference, Sonu said, 'Being a patriot that I am, I loathe anyone trying to create hate in the name of language, caste or religion especially after what transpired in Pahalgam. I had to school them, and I did, and thousands of students and teachers cheered me for it.' Stressing that he has immense respect for Kannada and the people of Karnataka, Sonu said, 'I have revered my Kannada songs way more than my songs in other languages including Hindi. There are 100s of videos circulating on social media as a testimony. I have more than an hour of Kannada songs that I prepare for every concert when in Karnataka.' A case has been booked on him by a pro-Kannada outfit for 'inciting language hatred.' The police has sent a notice to the singer to appear before them for questioning. Opening up on the case, Sonu said, 'I leave it upto the sensible people of Karnataka to decide who is at fault here. I will accept your verdict gracefully. I fully respect and trust the law agencies and Police of Karnataka and will comply with whatever is expected from me. I have received divine love from Karnataka and will cherish it always with no malice whatsoever irrespective of your verdict.' ALSO READ:Sonu Nigam responds to controversy: I was threatened by 4-5 thugs, no hate towards Kannadigas On May 0, 2025 (Monday), the Karnataka Film Chamber for Commerce (KFCC) said it has decided to not invite Sonu to any film-related events till he renders an apology. 'Mr Sonu Nigam will not be invited for any Kannada film-related events. We have written to the police commissioner's office to not permit any Sonu Nigam concert in Bengaluru,' said KFCC chairman M Narasimhalu, adding that there has been no step taken to ban the singer from the Kannada film industry yet.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sonu Nigam defends Kannada culture amidst concert controversy
Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam addressed recent controversy at a Karnataka concert where he faced disruption over language issues . The 51-year-old artist detailed how some audience members threatened him during his performance, demanding more Kannada songs despite his extensive history of performing in the language. Nigam emphasized his deep connection with Karnataka's culture and music through a detailed statement. He explained how he regularly prepares hour-long Kannada song sets for his concerts in the state. "I have given unprecedented love to the language, the culture, the music, the musicians, the state and the people not just when I am in Karnataka but anywhere else in the world. In fact I have revered my Kannada songs way more than my songs in other languages including Hindi. There are 100s of videos circulating on social media as a testimony. I have more than hour of Kannada songs that I prepare for every concert when in Karnataka," Nigam stated. The singer described the incident that occurred at the beginning of his concert. "I am not a young lad to take humiliation from anyone. I am 51 years old, in the second half of my life and am entitled to take offence for someone as young as my son threatening me directly in front of thousands in the name of language that too Kannada which is my second language when it comes to my work. That too right after my first song of the concert! He provoked a few more. Their own people were embarrassed and were asking them to shut up,' he said. Nigam detailed his attempts to handle the situation diplomatically. " I told them very politely and lovingly the show has just started, it's my first song and that I will not let them down, but they must let me continue with the concert the way I have planned. Every artiste has a song list prepared, so the musicians and technicians are in sync. But they were hell bent on creating ruckus and threatening me wildly. Tell me who is at fault? he said. The singer concluded his statement by expressing his respect for Karnataka. "Being a patriot that I am, I loathe anyone trying to create hate in the name of language, caste or religion especially after what transpired in Pahalgam. I had to school them, and I did, and thousands of students and teachers cheered me for it. The matter got over and I sang Kannada for more than an hour. It's all there on social media." Nigam expressed his willingness to accept the verdict of Karnataka's people and comply with law enforcement. "I leave it up to the sensible people of Karnataka to decide who is at fault here. I will accept your verdict gracefully. I fully respect and trust the law agencies and Police of Karnataka and will comply with whatever is expected from me. I have received divine love from Karnataka and will cherish it always with no malice whatsoever irrespective of your verdict."
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Sonu Nigam breaks silence on Bengaluru concert row, police summons: ‘Not a young lad to take humiliation'
Singer Sonu Nigam broke silence about a recent video of him during his Karnataka performance that got him in trouble. After allegedly refusing to perform in Kannada upon a fan's request, he even brought up the Pahalgam attack, and received flak for it. He posted a clarification on Monday to explain what happened. (Also Read: Sonu Nigam schools fan who asked him to sing in Kannada at Bengaluru show: 'Yahi kaaran hai Pahalgam mein jo hua') Sonu wrote in his note that he has given 'unprecedented love' to language, culture, music and musicians of not just Karnataka but 'anywhere in the world'. He also claimed that he 'revered' his Kannada songs more than even Hindi. Sonu stated that he has more than an hour of Kannada songs that he prepares whenever he is in Karnataka. However, he claimed that a fan 'humiliated' him at the concert and was 'threatened' by someone his son's age. He wrote, 'I am not a young lad to take humiliation from anyone. I am 51 years old, in the second half of my life and am entitled to take offence for someone as young as my son threatening me directly in front of thousands in the name of language that too Kannada which is my second language when it comes to my work. That too after my first song of the concert! He provoked a few more. Their own people were embarrassed and were asking them to shut up.' Sonu claimed that he told them 'politely and lovingly' that the concert has just begun and that he will not 'let them down'. However, he says, they were 'hell bent on creating ruckus' and threatening him 'wildly'. 'Tell me who is at fault?' he questioned, adding, 'Being a patriot that I am, I loathe anyone trying to create hate in the name of language, caste or religion especially after what transpired in Pahalgam.' He said 'thousands of students and teachers cheered' him when he schooled them and that eventually, he did perform Kannada songs. A post shared by Sonu Nigam (@sonunigamofficial) After the incident, the Bengaluru District Police took cognisance of the FIR filed against him on May 3 for 'making hurtful remarks about the Kannadiga community.' They issued a notice to Sonu, asking him to appear before the investigation officer within a week, according to ANI. Addressing it, Sonu ended the note with, 'I leave it upto the sensible people of Karnataka to decide who is at fault here. I will accept your verdict gracefully. I fully respect and trust the law agencies and Police of Karnataka and will comply with whatever is expected from me. I have received divine love from Karnataka and will cherish it always with no malice whatsoever irrespective of your verdict.' The complaint was lodged by Dharmaraj A, President of the Bengaluru City District Unit of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, a pro-Kannada group. The FIR includes charges under Sections 351(2), 352(1), and 353 of the Indian Penal Code. The complaint accuses Sonu Nigam of making 'objectionable and emotionally provocative' statements that have hurt the sentiments of the Kannadiga community and incited hatred among various linguistic communities in Karnataka. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) on Monday announced a 'non-cooperation' campaign against Sonu, according to PTI. KFCC president M Narasimhulu told reporters that the organisation would continue to refuse to cooperate with the singer until he tenders an unconditional apology to the people of Karnataka. "There will be non-cooperation with Sonu Nigam across Karnataka. It's just like a ban. He should apologise to the people of Karnataka," Narasimhulu said.
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Sonu Nigam says ‘I am 51, won't take humiliation from anyone' after Kannada song controversy: ‘I am entitled to take offence, school them'
Singer Sonu Nigam recently made headlines after a video of him from a recent concert in Bengaluru went viral. In the video, the 51-year-old singer can be seen schooling a student who reportedly rudely demanded the singer to sing in the local language. The video also attracted an FIR against the singer as he compared the student's hate to the incident that took place in Pahalgam. Now, Sonu Nigam has shared a long note, claiming he is not a young lad to take humiliation from anyone. Standing by his decision to school the student, Sonu said he will co-operate with Karnataka Police in the ongoing investigation against his remarks at the event. Taking to his Instagram, Sonu penned a long note. He wrote, 'I have given unprecedented love to the language, the culture, the music, the musicians, the state and the people not just when I am in Karnataka but anywhere else in the world. Infact I have revered my Kannada songs way more than my songs in other languages including Hindi. There are 100s of videos circulating on social media as a testimony. I have more than hour of Kannada songs that I prepare for every concert when in Karnataka.' He added, 'However, I am not a young lad to take humiliation from anyone. I am 51 years old, in the second half of my life and am entitled to take offence for someone as young as my son threatening me directly in front of thousands in the name of language that too Kannada which is my second language when it comes to my work. That too right after my first song of the concert!' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sonu Nigam (@sonunigamofficial) The singer shared this behaviour by the young student provoked others too who joined him in demanding songs in Kannada. 'Their own people were embarrassed and were asking them to shut up. I told them very politely and lovingly the show has just started, it's my first song and that I will not let them down, but they have to let me continue with the concert the way I have planned. Every artiste has a song list prepared so the musicians and technicians are in sync. But they were hell bent on creating ruckus and threatening me wildly. Tell me who is at fault?' Sonu explained, 'Being a patriot that I am, I loathe anyone trying to create hate in the name of language, caste or religion especially after what transpired in Pahalgam. I had to school them, and I did, and thousands of students and teachers cheered me for it. The matter got over and I sang Kannada for more than an hour. It's all there on social media.' He concluded his post by showing trust in the people and police of Karnataka. He wrote, 'I leave it upto the sensible people of Karnataka to decide who is at fault here. I will accept your verdict gracefully. I fully respect and trust the law agencies and Police of Karnataka and will comply with whatever is expected from me. I have received divine love from Karnataka and will cherish it always with no malice whatsoever irrespective of your verdict.' This note of Sonu Nigam attracted several reactions of his fans, who flooded the comment section with supportive messages. A fan wrote, 'We support you Sonu Sir, you're an irreplaceable asset to the nation.' Another user wrote, 'We love you and respect you so much and always with you no matter what!' What is the controversy about? Sonu Nigam landed in legal trouble after a video of him from his concert in Bengaluru went viral. An FIR was filed against the playback singer in Karnataka's Avalahalli Police, who have issued a notice to the singer, asking him to appear for questioning. Sonu Nigam's video is from his concert in Bengaluru's East Point College. In the video, the singer can be seen schooling a student who allegedly screamed at him, demanding a song in Kannada. Post the incident, the singer paused his show to address the crow. He said, 'In my career, I have sung in multiple languages but the best songs that I have ever sung is in the Kannada language. Whenever I come to your city, I come with lots of love. We do a lot of shows in a lot of places, but whenever we have shows in Karnataka we come with a lot of respect for you. You have treated me like your family, but I didn't like when the boy there, who is not even as old as my career, is rudely threatening me to sing in Kannada.' He added, 'This is the reason behind the incident in Pahalgam. Please see who is standing before you. I love you guys. I do so many shows across the world where thousands of people gather, and every time I hear even a single person shouting 'Kannada', I make sure to sing at least one line in Kannada for them. That's how much I love and respect all of you. So please be kind.' Sonu Nigam has sung several songs in Kannada including the iconic 'Munngaru Maleye' starring Golden star Ganesh and in Puneeth Rajkumar-starrer Ninnindale.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Sonu Nigam responds to Kannada row: I leave it up to the sensible people of Karnataka to decide who's at fault
The controversy surrounding Sonu Nigam has intensified days after his statement from a concert held at the East Point College of Engineering and Technology in Bengaluru. A video from the concert went viral, where the singer was seen schooling a group of attendees who insisted that the singer sang in Kannada as soon as he started the show. After a police complaint was apparently lodged against him by a pro-Kannada organisation, Sonu Nigam took to social media to share a video, titled 'Just love', as a response to the controversy. However, yesterday, some reports claimed that the Kannada film industry is planning to distance itself from Sonu. In a statement shared with us, Sonu said, "Namaskara. I have given unprecedented love to the language, the culture, the music, the musicians, the state and the people not just when I am in Karnataka, but anywhere in the world. In fact, I have revered my Kannada songs way more than my songs in other languages, including Hindi. There are 100s of videos circulating on social media as a testimony. I have more than an hour-long set of Kannada songs when I prepare for every concert in Karnataka. However I am not a young lad to take humiliation from anyone. I am 51, in the second half of my life and I am entitled to take offence for someone as young as my son threatening me directly, in front of thousands, in the name of language, and that too Kannada, which is my second language when it comes to my work. That too right after my first song of the concert! (sic). The singer added, "He provoked a few more. Their own people were embarrassed and were asking them to shut up. I told them politely and lovingly, 'The show has just started, it's my first song.' I said I won't let them down, but they have to let me continue with the concert the way I had planned. Every artiste has a song list prepared so that the musicians and technicians are in sync. But they were hell-bent on creating ruckus and threatening me wildly. Tell me who is at fault?" Sharing why he felt the need to school the group at the concert, Sonu adds, "Being a patriot that I am, I loathe anyone trying to create hate in the name of language, caste or religion, especially after what transpired in Pahalgam. I had to school them, and I did, and thousands of students and teachers cheered me for it. The matter got over and I sang Kannada songs for more than an hour. It's all there on social media. I leave it up to the sensible people of Karnataka to decide who is at fault here. I will accept your verdict gracefully. I fully respect and trust the law agencies and Police of Karnataka and will comply with whatever is expected from me. I have received divine love from Karnataka and will cherish it always with no malice whatsoever, irrespective of your verdict."
