Singer and rapper Badshah has released a statement after the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) accused him of having ties with a company backed by Pakistan in connection with the Dallas stop of his Unfinished Tour. The concert is set to take place on 19 September, but the controversy broke out last week when FWICE issued a formal notice to him.
Badshah Reacts To FWICE Allegations
Replying to the allegations, Badshah and his management stressed that the whole tour is being organized through a U.S.-based promoter, not any Pakistani organisation. As per the statement, the concerts are exclusively dealt with by Manish Sood of Intense Entertainment, who takes care of sponsorships, bookings, travel, and all other arrangements. The rapper further added that his job starts and ends at performing and he doesn’t take care of any financial transactions in the background.
The group also added that Badshah had previously sent a detailed clarification to FWICE on 16 August through his lawyers, reaffirming that his profession is all about music and cultural sharing, and nothing to do with politics. They emphasized that he wants to keep composing music as a means of fostering oneness and does not let geopolitical concerns intrude upon his craft.
The organiser, Intense Entertainment, also made its own clarification. It said that it had collaborated with 3Sixty Shows, an American company headed by Chloe Jones, to deal with marketing and execution on the ground in Dallas. The firm highlighted that 3Sixty has earlier organized concerts for a range of Indian musicians, including Hrithik Roshan and Abhijeet Bhattacharya. They guaranteed FWICE that all the arrangements, from hotel reservations to flights, were booked as per U.S. laws and industry standards, leaving no scope for foreign intervention.
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The firestorm started on 13 August when FWICE sent a letter to Badshah stating that 3Sixty Shows is a Pakistani-owned company. They contended that such a link would be contrary to guidelines of India’s Information & Broadcasting Ministry and threatened to take the issue further. This is not the first time the union has complained about claimed Pakistani sponsorship. Last month, actor Kartik Aaryan also received a letter of complaint regarding a U.S. Independence Day event sponsored by a Pakistani.
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