Renowned singer Monali Thakur recently took to her Instagram to address a distressing incident that occurred during a performance in Varanasi on December 22, 2024. Sharing her experience, she shed light on the severe mismanagement and unethical practices by the event organizing team.
Monali wrote, “It has been deeply troubling for me to process the reckless and irresponsible behavior of the event management company’s team. Specially, their misuse of laws designed to protect against sexual harassment—laws that are vital for safeguarding people, specially women in our society—is both appalling and unacceptable. Weaponizing such laws for personal vendetta, ego satisfaction, or retaliation against those who refused to comply with unethical practices is not only a gross abuse of rights but also deeply disrespectful to genuine survivors of these heinous crimes.
This reckless behavior undermines the credibility of survivors who show immense courage in seeking justice and hampers the hard work of those fighting to eradicate such crimes. It is particularly disheartening to see young women participating in such actions, as it damages the cause and creates distrust around an issue that should always be treated with the utmost seriousness.
On December 22, 2024, my team and I were subjected to severe negligence in basic infrastructural safety, false accusations of harassment, and life-threatening intimidation. This forced me to leave the stage after 70 minutes of performance.
It is absolutely unacceptable to treat vendors poorly, cheat them of their hard-earned money, or con them in any way. Disrespecting and harassing those working behind the scenes—whether they are backstage crew, artist managers, or artist coordinators—is not the way forward. Such behavior should never be tolerated or entertained, and I am confident in saying this on behalf of the entire live entertainment industry, a community that works tirelessly day and night to elevate Indian live entertainment to its highest potential and newest peaks.
There has to be stricter regulations to protect performing artists, backstage and onstage crews from exploitation and to ensure a safe, professional, and respectful environment for all parties involved.”
Monali also expressed her gratitude to the authorities, adding, “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the UP Police and the Varanasi Police Department for their swift and effective intervention that day, which helped us regain control of the situation. I am also deeply thankful to the audience of Varanasi for their unwavering love and trust.
Special thanks to: IPS Deepak Bhuker, SP Unnao, IPS Pramod Kumar, DCP Gomti Zone, Varanasi, IPS Saravanan Thangamani, ADCP Varuna Zone, Varanasi, ACP Prateek Kumar…Thank you for your understanding and support.”
Monali’s statement has sparked conversations around the need for better protection and ethical practices within the live entertainment industry.
