‘Let him enjoy his success’: Abhijeet Bhattacharya defends Udit Narayan amid viral kiss controversy

New Delhi: Legendary singer Udit Narayan is the voice behind countless Bollywood hits. For those who have missed it, the 69-year-old singer has found himself at the centre of a social media storm. A video of him exchanging kisses with female fans during a live performance recently went viral, sparking a wave of mixed reactions online.

While some netizens called out the singer’s behaviour as “inappropriate,” others defended the episode citing it as a consensual fan interaction. Now, fellow playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya has stepped in to support his longtime colleague and added his own quirky take on the situation.

Abhijeet Bhattacharya defends Udit Narayan

Speaking to News18, Abhijeet brushed off the controversy, saying, “Udit is a superstar singer. Episodes like this keep happening to us singers all the time. If we aren’t properly guarded, people tear our clothes apart.”

In true Abhijeet fashion, he didn’t just stop at defending Udit. He also shared an anecdote from his own career, recalling a particularly “khatarnak” (dangerous) fan encounter during a concert in South Africa. “When I was new in the industry, during a show, teen-chaar ladkiyon ke mere gaal pe itna khatarnak kiss kiya ki main stage pe jaa hi nahi pa raha tha. And all of this happened right in front of Lata Mangeshkar ji! I had lipstick marks all over my cheeks,” he laughed.

Abhijeet also highlighted that Udit’s wife Deepa Gahatraj often accompanies him on tours, dismissing any claims of inappropriate behaviour. “He’s Udit Narayan! Ladkiyaan unke peeche padhi thi. He didn’t pull anyone close. Let him enjoy his success! He’s a romantic singer. He’s also a big khiladi, and I’m an anari. Koi unke saath khelne ki koshish mat karo,” he quipped, referencing their hit song Main Khiladi Tu Anari.

Udit Narayan breaks his silence

Meanwhile, Udit himself has responded to the controversy, maintaining a calm and collected stance. “Fans itne deewane hote hain na. Hum log aise nahi hain, hum decent log hain. Some fans show love like this. Yeh sab deewangi hoti hai. Uspe itna dhyaan nahi dena chahiye,” he told Hindustan Times.