Ghulam Ali's Mumbai concert called off again: Organisers demanded for police protection

Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali’s concert in Mumbai, which was scheduled to take place on 29 January, has been cancelled, according to film director Suhaib Ilyasi. Ghulam Ali was all set to make his acting debut with Hindi feature film ‘Ghar Wapsi’, directed by Ilyasi. The legendary singer has also composed and lent his voice to a patriotic song for the movie. “It’s quite unfortunate that his concert has been called off. We had asked for police protection but we didn’t get any confirmation from police about his protection,” Ilyasi told IANS. [caption id=“attachment_2601370” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali. AFP[/caption] “I am feeling helpless but we can’t do anything about it. I wanted a peaceful stay for Ali saab but certain things didn’t work out so Ghulam Ali’s Mumbai concert has been called off.” Earlier, Ilyasi had demanded police protection for Ghulam Ali. “I will request the Mumbai police and the Maharashtra government to provide protection to Ghulam Ali saab during his stay in Mumbai. There is a threat to Ali saab by Shiv Sena. They did not allow him to perform in India last year,” Ilyasi had told IANS. “We hope Maharashtra government treats him as an important dignitary and we hope he has a safe stay in Mumbai,” Ilyasi added. Ilyasi’s film is “about the latest debate on intolerance”. This was the second time that Ghulam Ali’s concert has been cancelled in the city. His concerts in Mumbai and Pune were called off in October last year after the Shiv Sena threatened to disrupt his live performance. The singer made an entry in Indian cinema with his popular song “Chupke chupke raat din” for B.R. Chopra’s “Nikaah”. IANS