{
  "id": 18280767,
  "title": "Abhijeet Bhattacharya vows to never lip-sync at concerts amid Daler Mehndi row: ‘Minister became the villain’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/abhijeet-bhattacharya-vows-to-never-lip-sync-at-concerts-amid-daler",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T08:28:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/abhijeet-bhattacharya-vows-to-never-lip-sync-at-concerts-amid-daler-mehndi-row-minister-became-the-villain-1.500736840"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Abhijeet Bhattacharya has addressed the controversy surrounding Daler Mehndi's performance in Uttarakhand, asserting that the minister who confronted the singer on stage was correct. The singer pledged to never lip-sync during his concerts, regardless of his vocal condition. The dispute began in October 2026 when Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal interrupted Mehndi's performance, questioning if the singer was performing live and implying that he appeared intoxicated. This led to widespread backlash, with industry figures supporting Mehndi's claim that he had been unwell and had recently undergone surgery. Uniyal has maintained his stance, arguing that Mehndi was paid for the performance and did not deliver as expected. Abhijeet, speaking at a concert in Chhattisgarh, referred to the minister as the villain for speaking the truth but ended up being vilified. He emphasized the importance of performers singing live and appealed to event organizers to prevent similar occurrences. Abhijeet promised his audience that he would never lip-sync during his performances.",
  "summary": "Abhijeet Bhattacharya has stepped into the dispute over Daler Mehndi’s Uttarakhand performance, telling a concert crowd that the minister who called out the singer on stage was right, and promising that he himself would never mime a song, however rough his voice might sound on the night. The singer made the comments from the stage at Chhattisgarh Rajyotsava 2026. A clip of his speech has since…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}