Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, who is currently on his Dil-Luminati India Tour, admitted to all the controversy surrounding his songs and allegations of promoting alcohol. While performing in Lucknow on Friday, he reacted to criticism from a TV anchor who challenged him to create hit songs without any references to alcohol.
In a video that went viral on social media, Diljit justified his artistic decision. “To the anchor questioning me, songs like Born To Shine, Kinni Kinni, GOAT, Naina, and Lover are much more popular than Patiala Peg. Your challenge holds no value,” he said.
Diljit Dosanjh defends promoting alcohol, says all singers and actors do it
Diljit called attention to the hypocrisy in singling out singers and ignoring similar depictions in Indian cinema. “If censorship is the point, it needs to be about movies too. All big heroes have done a scene or song with alcohol. Singers are not soft targets,” he said.
Emphasizing his credibility as an artist, he reminded critics of the accolades his work has earned. “My films have won National Film Awards. My art isn’t cheap. We could add disclaimers during performances, but it would feel like singling someone out,” he said.
It all started with the Telangana authorities banning Diljit from singing songs that appreciate alcohol during his show in Hyderabad. He responded by creatively changing the lyrics where he replaced “daaru” with “coke” and “theka” with “hotel.” He further dared the state to declare dry days for his shows.
By respecting the alcohol-free law, the governor of the state declared the same modifications for his show in Ahmedabad.
His tour to continue in Pune, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Indore, and Chandigarh will conclude in Guwahati on 29 December.
Speaking to the Lucknow audience, Diljit said, “Love you, Lucknow! So much love, so much gratitude!”
This stance of not being apologetic and innovative solutions thrown by him speaks a lot about his commitment to his fans and not shrinking from controversy making the actor a mighty performer in the entertainment industry.
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