Mumbai: Comedian and actor Sudesh Lehri has come out in support of singer Daler Mehndi.
He criticised the way he was addressed on stage and urged people to treat artists with dignity and respect. In a video message shared on Instagram, Sudesh said he was speaking up for Daler because he understood the emotional side of being an artist. He also recalled his 30-year association with the singer and said he had learnt a great deal from him about performing on stage and maintaining professionalism.
“I am not making this video for myself. I am making this video for our beloved artist, Mr. Daler Mehndi. Friends, I am an artist and I can feel what an artist is. How soft and emotional an artist is. The videos that you are watching for Daler Mehndi through news or whatever people are uploading. The way they are being presented is very wrong.”
Recalling the lessons he had learnt from Daler, Sudesh said, “I know him personally for 30 years. We have learned so much from him about the stage. How to respect the stage, how to go on stage, how to live, how to show, how to be professional.”
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He further said that many artists, not just from Punjab or India but across the world, had learnt from Daler. Sudesh objected to the manner in which the singer was spoken to in front of an audience and said such conversations could be handled privately.
“I say, even if you want to talk to an artist, you can easily talk behind the stage. There can be some other way. But talking to an artist on stage in this way is very wrong,” he said.
Sudesh also stated that he had never seen Daler drinking alcohol in the three decades he had known him. “I have never seen him drinking until today. Nor has anyone said that he is intoxicated; he drinks. I have never seen,” he said.
Concluding his message, Sudesh wished the singer good health and assured him of his support. “Daler Mehndi ji, get well soon. May you be in good health. We are all with you. Love you,” he said.
Several members of the entertainment industry, including Mika Singh, Palesh Sen, Sudesh Berry, Anupam Kher, Badshah and Kapil Sharma, have also expressed their support for Daler Mehndi.
On October 18, Daler Mehndi was performing at the Kunjapuri Fair in Uttarakhand’s Tehri district, an important cultural gathering organised during the Navratri festivities.
His performance was interrupted when Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister and local MLA Subodh Uniyal came onto the stage and reprimanded the singer in front of the crowd. Uniyal directed Mehndi to stop performing, alleging that he had appeared on stage after consuming alcohol at an event dedicated to Goddess Durga.”
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