Diljit Dosanjh’s Hyderabad concert has been making headlines ever since the Telangana government sent him a notice instructing him to not perform songs that promote alcohol, drugs, and violence. The actor-singer has now given a befitting reply during his concert on Saturday. He called out the government’s double standards in their attitude towards international rockstars who perform in India and the discrimination against Indian artists. Diljit’s team posted a short clip on Instagram on Saturday, where he is seen interacting with the audience.
In the clip, Diljit says, “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 tainu pareshani, taang adani hai. Par main bhi ek baat bata doon, Dosanjh ka rab hai, main nahi chhodunga (If an artist comes from outside the country, they can sing anything, do anything, there are no worries. But when an Indian artist sings, then you have a problem; you have to interfere. But let me tell you, there is God. I won’t let this go).”
He also addressed that there are people who question the scale of his shows and wonder why tickets get sold out so fast. He added, “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 (Some people aren’t able to digest why such big shows are happening. How are these tickets getting sold in two minutes? Bro, I’ve been working for a long time. I didn’t become famous in one day).”
Several clips and moments from Diljit’s Hyderabad concert have gone viral on social media, as he tweaked the lyrics of a bunch of his famous songs, following the government’s directive. For his song Lemonade, he changed the lyrics from Tainu teri daaru ch pasand aa Lemonade to Tainu teri coke ch pasand aa Lemonade. For 5 Taara, Diljit went from 5 Taara thekke utthe to 5 Taara hotel ch.