Arijit Singh addresses ‘Gerua’ row, says ‘so much controversy over a colour’

Singer Arijit Singh has reacted to ‘gerua’ controversy that erupted after reports surfaced last year that the police denied permission for his February concert in Kolkata. The BJP had claimed that it was due to Arijit singing a line from the ‘Gerua’ song ‘rang de tu mohe gerua’ at Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) 2022.

Addressing the controversy at a recent concert in Kolkata, Arijit said, ‘So much controversy over a colour, it is strange. If Swami ji wore white, would there be controversy over white too?’

In December, Arijit Singh had performed at the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) 2022. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and the audience demanded that he sings a song. He obliged with the song ‘Gerua’, from Shah Rukh Khan’s film ‘Dilwale’.

The event had been attended by Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Prosenjit, Rani Mukerji, Shatabdi Roy, Arijit Singh, Babul Supriyo and other stars.

Later, reports surfaced that Arijit Singh’s concert, which was scheduled to be held on February 18, had been cancelled. BJP went on to accuse Mamata Banerjee of being offended by Arijit’s choice of song ‘Gerua’, as she has always expressed her anger about the ‘saffronisation’ of Indian politics.

West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim had clarified that the permission for the concert was not granted as a G20 event was also scheduled in the same area.

Dismissing the accusations, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that BJP was politicising the issue.

Lately, Shah Rukh Khan’s song ‘Besharam Rang’ from the film ‘Pathaan’ came under fire for allegedly ‘disrespecting’ the colour saffron.

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