Jimmy Shergill has publicly defended Daler Mehndi after the singer’s appearance at a Uttarakhand fair drew allegations from a state minister. In an interview with IANS, Shergill said Mehndi had undergone an operation and “doesn’t drink at all,” arguing that public mockery of a medical condition is unjustified.
What happened at the fair
The flashpoint was Mehndi’s set at the annual Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair. State minister Subodh Uniyal reportedly interrupted the performance midway, accused the singer of being under the influence of alcohol, and questioned whether the show justified the fee Mehndi had charged.
The report does not carry confirmation of that allegation. Shergill offers a different explanation: he says the singer has recently had an operation. “I myself have gone through such a period when a person is fighting a medical situation,” Shergill told IANS, adding that making fun of such a situation “is not a good thing.”
The industry lines up
- Mika Singh defended his brother in a video, asking whether anyone had ever seen Mehndi with a glass of alcohol in his hand.
- Shergill called Mehndi a “very Sufi man” and said he has known him for many years.
- Palash Sen, Kapil Sharma and Sudesh Lehri also voiced support, according to the report.
Mika also pointed to longevity. He described Mehndi as a superstar for the last 30 years and asked why decades of stage work were being set aside in favour of claims about one appearance.
Why health speculation is the real story
For audiences who follow Hindi cinema, the episode shows how quickly a public figure’s health becomes material for ridicule before the facts are known. Shergill’s statement reframes the incident around illness and recovery rather than character.
That reframing matters because a medical condition can affect speech, movement or energy in ways that an audience may misread as intoxication. When a politician or a viewer makes that leap, the assumption travels faster than any correction. The result is a reputational cost attached to someone who may simply be unwell.
The minister has a version of the evening; Mehndi and his supporters have another. For everyone else, the responsible position is to treat unverified claims about alcohol use as allegations, not facts, and to let medical details remain private unless the individual chooses to share them.
Source: The Times of India
Comments