Indian singer Arijit Singh has announced that his concert in Abu Dhabi on Friday has been postponed due to the escalating military tension between India and Pakistan.
In a message on Instagram, Singh wrote that the “difficult decision” was made due to “recent events”. He asked for “patience, support and understanding” and added that a new date would be announced soon.
The message also said that tickets for the Etihad Arena show on Yas Island will be valid for the rescheduled date. Singh had already cancelled a show in Chennai following the attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir last month.
A celebrated Indian playback singer, Singh earned recognition on the reality show Fame Gurukul in 2005 and made his Bollywood debut with Phir Mohabbat in the film Murder 2, released in 2011.
He is celebrated as Spotify’s most-streamed Indian artist for five consecutive years (2020–2024) and, as of last month, is the most-followed artist on the platform, with more than 142 million followers.
Also impacted by events in Kashmir is the Bollywood film Bhool Chuk Maaf, which was due to be released in cinemas on Friday. It is instead going out on Amazon Prime Video from May 16.
The film producers said the decision was made “in light of recent events and the heightened security drills across the nation” and added that “the spirit of the nation comes first”.
Bhool Chuk Maaf is described as a sci-fi romantic comedy. It stars Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi and Seema Pahwa. Directed and written by Karan Sharma, the film follows a soon-to-be-wed couple as they are sucked into a time loop.
