Renowned playback singer Sonu Nigam found himself in hot water following his performance in Bengaluru on April 25, where a viral video showed him allegedly refusing to sing in Kannada. The clip, which triggered widespread outrage, also captured the singer referencing the Pahalgam terror attack, intensifying the backlash.
The Kannada film ‘Kuladalli Keelyavudo’ has now dropped his song from its soundtrack. In an official press release, the makers stated, “Sonu Nigam may be a talented vocalist, but we are deeply offended by his recent remarks about Kannada during the concert. We cannot condone such disrespect, and therefore, his song has been removed.”
The dropped track, ‘Manasu Haadtade’, composed by Manomurthy and penned by Yogaraj Bhat, was originally sung by Sonu and had garnered attention post-release. The team has now brought in singer Chethan to re-record the number, and producer Santosh Kumar has declared he won’t associate with Sonu in the future.
During the event, Sonu reacted strongly to a persistent request from a student to sing in Kannada, saying, “The aggressive tone reminded me of what happened in Pahalgam.” His comments drew swift criticism from Kannada-speaking audiences, prompting the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) to advise against working with the artist.
After facing mounting criticism, Sonu issued an apology on Instagram: “Sorry Karnataka. My love for you is greater than my pride. Always yours.” An FIR was filed against him at Avalahalli Police Station for his comments linking the request to a terror attack.
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