BENGALURU – Sonu Nigam, the Bollywood playback singer known for his soulful voice, is now at the center of a storm in Karnataka. A concert in Bengaluru has landed him in hot water, with an FIR filed against him for allegedly insulting Kannadiga sentiments. The controversy erupted after a performance on April 30, 2025, when a group of audience members reportedly heckled Nigam, demanding he sing in Kannada. What followed was a tense exchange, a viral video, and a police complaint that’s snowballed into protests and public outrage.
The trouble started at a musical event in Bengaluru’s Avalahalli area. Nigam, mid-performance, was interrupted by four or five young men in the crowd shouting for Kannada songs. A clip of the incident, which spread like wildfire online, shows the singer pausing to address the hecklers. His response, which some interpreted as dismissive of Kannada language pride, sparked fury among local groups. On May 2, the Bengaluru city district unit of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada organization, lodged a formal complaint with the police. They accused Nigam of inciting hatred and wounding the pride of Kannadigas, a charge that led to an FIR under sections of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity between groups.
Nigam didn’t stay silent. On May 3, he issued a statement clarifying his side. He described the hecklers as “thugs” who threatened him, insisting he holds no ill will toward Kannadigas or their language. “I was performing in Bengaluru, a city I love, when a handful of boys tried to bully me into singing in Kannada,” he said in a video shared with media outlets. He emphasized that his comments were aimed at the disruptors, not the Kannada community at large. “I’ve sung in many languages, including Kannada. This was about a few troublemakers, not about language or culture.”
The fallout didn’t stop there. On May 5, Bengaluru District Police issued a notice to Nigam, summoning him to appear before an investigation officer within seven days. The notice, tied to the FIR at Avalahalli Police Station, signals that authorities are taking the complaint seriously. Meanwhile, KRV members staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on the same day, burning effigies of the singer and demanding an apology. Their banners read, “Respect Kannada, Respect Karnataka,” reflecting the deep cultural pride at stake.
Nigam’s team has maintained that the singer was unfairly targeted. They point to his decades-long career, during which he’s performed in multiple Indian languages, including Kannada, without incident. The singer himself referenced a past event in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where he faced similar disruptions. “Nobody asked those troublemakers what language they spoke,” he said, drawing a parallel to argue that the Bengaluru incident was about rowdy behavior, not linguistic identity.
The case has stirred debate across Karnataka. Some defend Nigam, arguing that artists shouldn’t be coerced into performing in specific languages. Others see the incident as part of a broader struggle to protect Kannada culture in a rapidly globalizing state. For now, the investigation is ongoing, with police yet to disclose further details about potential charges or outcomes.
Nigam, who has not performed in Bengaluru since the incident, is expected to comply with the police summons. The FIR remains active, and the singer’s next steps could either defuse the tension or fan the flames of this cultural clash.