The debate over whether Sonakshi Sinha should sing at the Purpose India Tour has gotten ugly AF!

Bollywood actress and singer, Sonakshi Sinha has been roped in by organisers White Fox India to sing at Justin Bieber’s gig at the D. Y. Patil Stadium on 10th May in Mumbai and Kailash Kher was NOT happy. In a statement to IANS Kher said, “I read somewhere that a Canadian singer Justin Bieber is coming to India, and actress Sonakshi will perform at the gig. The news was cute, but quite a lie. It doesn’t give a good message internationally.”

“They (people abroad) will think that Sonakshi must be a big singer in India. And then she will get concert offers from Canada, and then probably Sonakshi will laugh them off saying ‘I am not a singer but an actor’,” the Padma Shri award winning musician added.

Tweeting in solidarity with Kher, Bollywood singer Armaan Malik asked Sinha to “leave the playground to us singers”.

In her defense, Sonakshi replied that “art in any form shouldn’t be suppressed”. After performing at Coldplay’s India debut at the Global Citizen Festival last year and releasing a single on T-series called “Aaj Mood Ishqholic Hai” in 2015, Sinha seems set to take off with her music and singing career.

Kailash Kher, known for his raw vocals and folk sensibilities on tracks like “Teri Deewani” and “Saiyyan” went on to say in his telephonic statement to IANS, “Whenever any singer from the West comes to India, we get an actor on board to match their level. We don’t get singer for another singer, but actor… Event managers and producers of entertainment industry are so scared. The organisers don’t consider crowd’s sensibilities (while deciding on the acts in a live gig), and only go for a popular face. Often actors just come and say ‘It is nice to here’.”

Sonakshi Sinha, who’s been promoting her new film Noor made a faux pas by taking a bigger dig at Armaan when she mistook him for his brother who is also a Bollywood composer.

Armaan was quick to retort by pointing out her slip up!

 

But he was also cordial in his response and maintained his stance to defend his fellow musicians and singers:

While Kher meant to assert his opinion of an ideological difference with the organiser’s as he feels strongly about the responsibility of a live performer also being to “promote musicians, music and live art….so that everyone exists and survives in the art and creative field.” he probably never saw this war of words coming.

Check out  how the rest of the tweeting spat ensued below:

His brother though does whole-heartedly agree with Kher as well!

Armaan threw more shade at Sonakshi clarifying her mix up:

For the time being it looks like the twitter war is on haitus with Armaan Malik’s conclusive statements:

While veteran singer Kher is working on some “heavy duty” music, he’s still pushing the front for homegrown and non-Bollywood talent, it looks like B-town has some perspective to gain and reflect on after this debacle!