Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 17 : Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh is making headlines after facing a legal notice from the Telangana government, which instructed him not to perform songs promoting alcohol, drugs, and violence during his concert in Hyderabad.
The notice, issued just hours before his performance on Friday, cited a complaint from a Chandigarh resident who claimed that Diljit Dosanjh had performed songs promoting alcohol and violence at a previous concert in New Delhi.
Songs like 'Patiala Pegg' and 'Panchatara' were specifically mentioned in the complaint. The 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 Diljit 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, Diljit Dosanjh 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.
(Translation: "Some people can't digest why 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.")
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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, Diljit 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.