How common is it for Bengal’s female performers to face pressures to adjust amid harassment and unsafe shows?

KOLKATA: Several performing female artists in Bengal say late-night shows routinely come with pressure to “adjust” to poor logistics and unsafe conditions — insufficient security, inadequate green rooms and toilets, unclear stage access, and organisers pushing them to stay on despite crowding, heckling, or unwanted attention — while any protest is met with accusations of being “difficult”, “unprofessional”, or “insulting the audience”, a pattern echoed in actress and former TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty’s complaint of harassment during a live cultural programme in North 24 Parganas and the organiser’s counter-allegation that she was late and defamed the event.



Mimi took to social media to address the incident. She wrote that she had been invited by the Naya Gopal Gunj Yubak Sango Club to perform at an event in Bongaon, but was abruptly asked to leave the stage mid-performance without prior communication, in front of the audience. She said the manner of her removal, followed by derogatory remarks made on the microphone, was humiliating and amounted to public defamation. She added that she left quietly to maintain decorum, and has since approached the appropriate legal authorities, stating that “dignity on stage is non-negotiable.”

In another post, Mimi shared a message from an audience member who apologised and said she had not been treated with due respect. Mimi used the post to highlight what she described as the expectation that women artists should “adjust, endure, and stay quiet,” adding that speaking up often leads to women being labelled “difficult,” while silence allows such behaviour to continue. She said she has built her career on self-respect, hard work, and discipline, and urged that boundaries be set so others do not face similar treatment. She also expressed solidarity with artists who have been humiliated, interrupted, or unfairly blamed on stage.

Mimi’s posts have prompted renewed discussion about the challenges and safety concerns faced by female performers in Bengal. The episode follows singer Lagnajita Chakraborty’s recent police complaint alleging she was heckled and physically harassed after performing a devotional song at a private educational institution in Purba Medinipur. Lagnajita was performing in north Bengal when the incident occurred. She had two concerts, in Raiganj and North Jaipalguri. Both shows went well, but she had a brief heated exchange with Raiganj organisers who allegedly demanded midshow that branded ads be streamed on the LED screen during her performance. “After a brief showdown, I agreed. The show was a success and I moved on. Later, I found the organisers had published an online article about it on a local portal. This sense of entitlement among organisers is new. However, this behaviour has nothing to do with gender,” Lagnajita said.

She agreed that artists too have more ways to air grievances, know their rights, and file police complaints faster. “I wouldn’t have lodged a police complaint against Mehebub Mallick unless he had threatened to physically abuse me. In the 11 years of my career, I have seen only five percent of cases where organisers misbehave. That is why women like me continue to perform. However, I stay more guarded about my conduct.”

Singer Ujjaini Mukherjee told TOI that she has also faced unruly behaviour from organisers. “Gender is an important factor. Thankfully, the number of incidents has gone down now. I am selective about which shows I perform at and careful about the time I am supposed to start. I feel the problems escalate when the timing is later in the evening.”