Singer Udit Narayan has been facing widespread online criticism after a video of him kissing female fans at a live concert went viral. The footage, showing Narayan performing “Tip Tip Barsa Paani,” shows fans approaching the stage for selfies, after which the singer kisses them on the lips.
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Narayan defended his actions, stating, “Have I (ever) done anything to bring shame to myself, my family or my country? Then why would I do something now at this stage of my life when I have achieved it all? There is a deep pure and unbreakable bond between my fans and I. What you saw in the so-called scandalous video was a manifestation of the love between my fans and I. They love me. I love them back even more.”
Narayan emphasized that he had no regret or embarrassment, explaining, “No, not at all! Why should I be? Do you hear any regret or sorrow in my voice? In fact, I am laughing as I talk to you. It is not something sleazy or secret. It is there in the public domain. My heart is pure. If some people want to see something dirty in my act of pure affection, then I feel sorry for them. I also want to thank them. Because now they’ve made me even more famous than I already was.”
The veteran singer also shared his aspirations, saying, “I am the recipient of several Filmfare Awards, National Awards, Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan. I aspire to get the Bharat Ratna, like Lataji. She is my idol. Do you know I was her favourite co-singer among the singers of my generation? I have sung the maximum duets with her from my generation of singers. When I have Mata Saraswati’s blessings, what do I care about people who cannot bear to see others successful?”