Kannada film director K. Ramnarayan, who replaced two songs of Sonu Nigam in his latest movie with another singer, has called for strong action against the singer after a controversial remark he made during a concert in Bengaluru.
The controversy began at a concert in East Point College of Engineering in the city on Saturday, when an audience member reportedly asked Nigam to sing a Kannada song. In response, the singer reacted angrily, saying, “Kannada… Kannada… this is the reason behind the incident in Pahalgam.” The comment quickly went viral on social media, leading to heavy criticism from people across the state, especially from the Kannada-speaking community.
It had sparked widespread outrage across Karnataka.
Many accused Nigam of insulting the Kannada language and hurting the sentiments of Kannadigas. Director Ramnarayan said Nigam’s apology was not enough and announced that two songs sung by the singer in his upcoming film Kuladalli Keelyavudo would be replaced with versions sung by another artist.
“Just saying sorry will not cut it. Connecting Kannada pride to the national tragedy that happened in Pahalgam is a very grave mistake. He must pay a price for that,” Ramnarayan told PTI.
Ramnarayan's movie Kuladalli Keelyavudo is set to release on May 23. It had three songs already released to promote the film. Two of them, including the title track, were sung by Sonu Nigam. The title song is a tribute to the famous track from the 1965 Rajkumar film Satya Harishchandra. Ramnarayan said the songs will now be released with vocals by another singer.
The Kannada Film Chamber of Commerce had on Monday banned Sonu Nigam from singing in the Kannada film industry due to his remarks.
Following the incident, A. Dharmaraj, President of the Bengaluru City District Unit of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, filed a complaint against Nigam at Avalahalli Police Station. The complaint stated that Nigam’s comments hurt the feelings of the Kannada-speaking community, created division between language groups, and could lead to tension or violence.
Bengaluru police has already sent a notice summoning Sonu Nigam for questioning as they begin further investigation into the matter.