Indian 'Beliebers', who had shelled out thousands of rupees to listen to Justin Bieber, said today they were appalled when they realised that the teen pop sensation was lip-syncing some of his songs at his much awaited concert in Mumbai.
The 23-year-old singer, who was in India as part of the Asia leg of his Purpose World Tour, is believed to have left the country, contrary to reports that he would visit New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, said an organiser.
Director Anurag Basu, amongst the many thousands who packed into the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai yesterday evening with his daughter, a huge Bieber fan, said the Cold Water singer was "not prepared".
"I would have been happy if he would have sung all songs live. He only sang four songs live. An artist of his calibre should sing live. He was not prepared," Basu said.
Another fan at the event said, "I attended Coldplay's concert and I think that was much better than this. Justin's performance was low on energy and the worst part was he was lip-syncing to many of his songs."
A couple who had flown in from Pune and paid Rs 36,000 per pass said Bieber's lip-syncing was quite a turn-off. "It's quite clear that he is not singing these songs," the husband said.
Bharti Mamgain, a banker who accompanied her 10-year-old daughter Ria to the show, was equally upset. "I wish I had not paid a bomb for this awful concert."
The Canadian singer faced huge flak on social media as well.
"Bieber was so bad it was hilarious. He had the stage presence of khichdi. Plus kaafi lip sync. (Lucky that my tickets were free :D)," AIB comic Ashish Shakya said on Twitter.
Taking a jibe at Bieber's hit Sorry, a user wrote, "So Justin Bieber was lip syncing... Is it too late to say sorry now?"
"People paid 76K for seeing Justin lip sync to his own songs. Like seriously? #JustinBieberIndia #JustinBieberIndia," added another Twitter user.
Bieber's performance started around 8 pm, several hours after fans had gathered in the stadium. He was on stage for for over one-and-half hours, singing hit numbers like Baby, Sorry, No Sense, Company, No Pressure and Hold Tight.
Bollywood bigwigs, including Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, Malaika Arora, Arbaaz Khan, Raveena Tandon and Arjun Rampal, were spotted at the venue with their children.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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