Veteran Indian singer Usha Uthup on Sunday recalled how the late former President Nelson Mandela once helped her meet and sing with her idol, legendary South African singer Miriam Makeba.
Uthup was on a whirlwind tour of just two performances - at Durban on Saturday night and at Johannesburg on Sunday.
At the Johannesburg show Sunday evening, Uthup said when she last toured South Africa 25 years ago, the organisers also took her to meet Mandela at his offices.
"I touched his feet as in the traditional form of respect and he just kept standing. I said, 'Dada, please will you put your hand on my head and bless me'. We did a retake and I touched his feet again and he gave me his blessings," she recalled.
"He said, 'What do you want in Africa? I will do anything for you'," she recollected he telling her.
"I said, 'I want to meet Mama Africa. I want to meet Miriam Makeba. We performed in Lenasia (the sprawling Indian suburb south of Johannesburg) the next evening, and there was Miriam Makeba – my dream came true.
"What a woman. And what a way she sang. Without knowing her or knowing anything about her, it was one of my biggest songs forever," she said.
Uthup said she had been singing Makeba's internationally hit ‘Patta Patta’ song, which literally means 'touch touch' in the indigenous Xhosa language, for many years before meeting her.
Uthup thrilled the small but attentive crowd with her repertoire which included popular Western songs alongside her Bollywood hits and her range of self-effacing humour, including how she cut up one of her saris to embellish the comfortable sneakers she was wearing.
"My daughter told me, 'Amma, if you can wear sneakers in the morning when you go for your walk, why can't you wear sneakers for the show?' So, I wore sneakers to a show but I realised that it was so boring to wear black and white sneakers. I decided to cut one of my saris up and put borders on them and now I have Kanjivaram sneakers that look so cool," Uthup jested as she sat down on a chair for the major part of her performance.
Uthup, 75, delivered non-stop songs and relevant banter for almost 90 minutes.
(PTI)
A scene from The Thursday Murder Club, where four retirees turn amateur detectives in a quiet British village shaken by a real murderInstagram/NetflixUK
Stills from Andaz Apna Apna
Stills from Andaz Apna Apna
Vinay Kumar Sinha
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire
Rahul Bhatt sparks controversy over 'insensitive' remarks about sisters Alia and Pooja Bhatt
Rahul Bhatt, fitness trainer and son of veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, has found himself at the centre of a social media storm following controversial remarks about his half-sister, Alia Bhatt. In a recent interview, Rahul drew comparisons between Alia and their older sister Pooja Bhatt, calling the latter more talented, attractive, and principled.
The comments, which many have labelled inappropriate and insensitive, have sparked widespread criticism online. During the interview, Rahul stated, “In my opinion, she (Alia) is not even half of what my real sister Pooja is. Not in talent, not in looks, not in terms of being sexy. In front of my sister, she is ‘paani kam chai’ (watery tea). Amongst the siblings, the most talented and the most moralistic is Pooja.”
Social media users reacted strongly, questioning why Rahul would compare his sisters in such personal terms. Several users were particularly disturbed by his reference to their appearance and sex appeal, pointing out that such comparisons within a family cross boundaries of propriety. One comment read, “This is disturbing. Why talk about your sisters like that? It’s not just weird, it’s wrong.” Another post said, “There’s nothing respectful about comparing your siblings’ attractiveness in public.”
The backlash also reignited conversation around a decades-old controversy involving Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt. Rahul was asked about the infamous 1990s magazine cover where the father-daughter duo shared a kiss, which had stirred public outrage at the time. Dismissing the criticism, Rahul said, “It doesn’t make any difference. It’s like water off a duck’s back. We know the truth, and we’ve seen everything since childhood.”
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire, with critics saying it reflects a broader issue of the Bhatt family being insensitive to public perception and boundaries. Many users questioned the need for bringing up old incidents in a bid to defend new and equally questionable statements.
As of now, neither Alia Bhatt nor Pooja Bhatt has issued any public response to Rahul’s remarks. Both actors, known for their significant contributions to Indian cinema, have typically kept family matters private despite living in the public eye.
This episode has also sparked debate over the role of public figures in maintaining respect when discussing family matters in the media. Observers say such comments, especially when involving women’s appearance and personal qualities, reinforce problematic attitudes and fuel unnecessary controversies.
While Rahul Bhatt is not as prominent in the entertainment industry as his father or sisters, his comments have made headlines and placed the Bhatt family in the spotlight for reasons beyond their creative work. For many, this serves as a reminder that public platforms come with responsibility, and that family ties should not be trivialised or dissected for attention or comparison.
The backlash is unlikely to subside soon, especially as fans and followers of Alia and Pooja continue to express disappointment over the way the situation has unfolded. Whether or not Rahul chooses to clarify or apologise remains to be seen.