Declare dry states, will stop singing about alcohol: Diljit Dosanjh

Actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh performing at an event in Gurugram

Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh during his recent concert in Ahmedabad in Gujarat has humorously responded to the Telangana government’s notice instructing him to not perform songs promoting alcohol, drugs, and violence during his concert.

At his Gujarat show, he said, “Declare a dry day wherever my shows are, and I’ll refrain from alcohol-related songs. It’s easy for me to tweak my lyrics.”

During his recent performance, the Punjabi singer reacted to the Telangana government notice and said, “Jitni bhi states hai agar vo saari apne ko dry states ghoshit kar deti hai. Agle hi din Diljit Dosanjh sharaab pe gaana nahi gaayega..mai pran karta hu. (If all the states declare themselves as dry states, the very next day Diljit Dosanjh will not sing a song about alcohol. I vow to do this)”, he said.

“Acha ek aur mauka du. Isse bhi acha offer du ek aur. Jahan jahan mere shows hai vahan vahan aap ek din ke liye dry day ghoshit kar do mai sharaab ka gana nahi gaaunga. Mere liye ganao ko tweak karna is very easy for me,” the singer said during his concert in Gujarat. (Okay, let me give you another chance. I’ll make you an even better offer. Wherever my shows are, you declare a dry day for just one day, and I won’t sing a song about alcohol. For me, tweaking songs is very easy).

The notice, issued just hours before his performance on Friday, cited a complaint from a Chandigarh resident who claimed that Dosanjh had performed songs promoting alcohol and violence at a previous concert in New Delhi.

During his concert in Ahmedabad, Diljit refrained from alcohol-themed songs in compliance with Gujarat’s dry state rules, he would refrain from singing alcohol-related songs during the concert.He said, “Ek khushkhabri hai aaj mujhe koi notice nahi aaya..isse badi khush khabri aur hai mai aaj bhi koi gana sharaab pe nahi gaunga..kyunki Gujarat dry state hai (I have good news, I didn’t receive any notice today. There’s even better news: today I still won’t sing any song about alcohol, because Gujarat is a dry state).”

He also took a jibe at Bollywood celebs saying that while the industry features numerous songs about alcohol, only a few of his tracks refer to it. He also sang devotional songs in the past few days but people are just discussing his tracks like ‘Patiala Peg’. Songs like ‘Patiala Peg’ and ‘Panchatara’ were specifically mentioned in the complaint. The Telangana government also warned the singer against repeating such performances and urged the organisers to refrain from involving children in the show, citing safety concerns regarding loud noises and strobe lights.In a recent social media video shared by Dosanjh’s team, the ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ actor responded by tweaking his lyrics on stage, turning the controversy into a viral moment.

Taking to Instagram and the stage at the GMR Arena, he said, “Koi bahar se kalakaar ayega woh jo marzi gaa k jaaye, jo marzi kare koi tension nahi hai. Lekin apna kalakaar ghar aa raha hai, usme twanu pareshani, taang adani hai. Par main bhi ek baat bata doon, eh Dosanjha aala bugge, eh ni chadtaa”, pointing out what he perceived as double standards in the treatment of foreign versus Indian artists. (Translation: “If an artist from abroad comes, they can sing whatever they want, but when it’s an Indian artist, you interfere. But let me tell you, I am Dosanjhawala, I won’t leave.”)

Dosanjh’s comments were met with strong reactions from the audience, both during the concert and on social media.The singer also took a moment to address rumours about his concert ticket sales, which have been a subject of intrigue.”Kai logo ko toh digest nahi horaha ki itne bade shows ho kyu rahe hai? Yeh ticket 2 minute mein bik kaise jaati hai. Bro, main bohut der se kaam kar raha hoon. Main ek din mein famous nahi hua,” he said, asserting that his rise to fame has been the result of years of hard work, not overnight success. (Some people can’t digest how these big shows are happening and how tickets sell out in two minutes. Bro, I’ve been working hard for a long time. I didn’t become famous overnight.”)

Additionally, in the viral videos shared by his fans who attended the concert, Dosanjh could be seen making subtle changes to the lyrics of some of his popular songs during the Hyderabad concert. For example, in his hit track ‘Lemonade’, the line “Tainu teri ‘daaru’ ch pasand aa Lemonade” (You like your lemonade with alcohol) was changed to “Tainu teri ‘coke’ ch pasand aa Lemonade” (You like your lemonade with coke).Similarly, in ‘5 Taara’, he altered the lyrics from “5 Taara thekke utthe” (Five stars liquor shop) to “5 Taara ‘hotel’ ch” (Five stars hotel).

Additionally, Dosanjh also touched upon the issue of cybercrime, advising the audience to be cautious of online fraud and promoting awareness about the Telangana government’s helpline number 1930, which deals with cybercrimes.

The singer further elaborated on the issue of reselling concert tickets, mentioning that the government is working on solutions to curb such practices.The Hyderabad concert was part of Diljit’s ‘Dil-Luminati’ Tour, which has been making waves across India and abroad. After successful shows in Delhi and Jaipur, the singer was greeted with enthusiastic fans in Hyderabad, despite the last-minute controversy.