Why MK Raina walked off during Ila Arun's performance
What's the story
In a shocking incident, veteran actor-director MK Raina stormed off the stage mid-performance of singer-actor Ila Arun at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2025 on Friday.
The incident took place as Arun was performing a scene from her play Peer Ghani, a Kashmiri adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt.
Raina and Arun were at the festival to promote their memoirs, Before I Forget and Parde Ke Peechhey.
Reaction
Arun's response to Raina's unexpected departure
After Raina's sudden exit, Arun said, "This session is not just about my book, but it's about my life. And if I am enacting, he shouldn't be annoyed. He should be sitting here."
She lightened the mood by jokingly asking, "Albert Pinto ko gussa kyu aata hai?"—a reference to a popular Bollywood film—leaving the audience in splits who applauded her for keeping her calm.
Apology issued
The moderator apologized to Raina post-session
As the session ended, moderator Asad Laljee formally apologized to Raina, stressing neither he nor the panel members meant any disrespect.
Arun also used the opportunity to urge attendees to read and get their copies of Raina's memoir signed by him.
The reason behind Raina's sudden exit remains unverified, but sources claim he felt sidelined during that particular session.
Twitter Post
Here's a clip of the incident
#JaipurLiteratureFestival | MK Raina walks out as Ila Arun performs a scene from her play Peer Ghani#JLF #JLF2025 #Jaipur #Literaturefestival #PardeKePeechhey #IllaArun #AnjulaBedi pic.twitter.com/tEKvo60XZD
— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) January 31, 2025