Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh
Here we find Diljit Dosanjh trying to exorcise a ‘lady ghost.’
Photographs
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
Biographical details
Born: January 6, 1984, in Dosanjh Kalan, Jalandhar
Stars Unfolded tells us that Diljit’s father Balbir Singh Dosanjh was a bus driver, and that Diljit studied at the Shri Guru Harkishan Public School, Ludhiana, and then at Al Manar Public School, Ludhiana.
Career
Up to 2020
Himanshi Dhawan, December 6, 2020: The Times of India
With a Billboard chart-topping album titled G.O.A.T, a new Bollywood release and his face on billboards at New York’s Times Square, Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh could claim to have arrived in 2020. But this week he truly hit the popularity charts when his name became a verb. To be Diljit Dosanjh-ed is “when you get into a Twitter beef with an exceptionally badass stud but are blindsided by his comebacks.” Shedding his low-key amiable guy image, 36-year-old Dosanjh took to Twitter to support the farmers’ protests raging on Delhi borders after Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut alleged that protestors were on hire for Rs 100. She also misidentified a senior citizen as Bilkis Bano, popularly called the dadi from Shaheen Bagh. Dosanjh’s ripostes impressed even those who didn’t get the theth Punjabi. With 4.3 million followers on Twitter and 10.7 million on Instagram — significantly more than Ranaut’s — and support from several Punjabi celebrities like singer Mika Singh, actor Angad Bedi and cricketer Harbhajan Singh, it was an uneven match. He even joined farmers at the protest site.
But the move was in character for the self-confessed urban pendu (an affectionate term given by his fans to describe a village simpleton surviving in the city). Dosanjh livened up grim days during the lockdown with videos that showed his struggled with Angrezi Alexa (eventually teaching her to address him as jaan) and his earthy humour in amateur cooking videos.
Film critic Anupama Chopra describes him as charming and authentic. “He never says anything that he does not mean. At a time when all of us have many versions of ourselves, it is very reassuring that there is only one version of Diljit,” she says. His success is even more impressive considering that turban-wearing actors are not a norm in the film industry. “Forget being a leading man in Bollywood, even Punjabi films do not have turbaned heroes,” she says.
Dosanjh comes from a humble background and spent his childhood in the village of Dosanjh Kalan in Punjab’s Jalandhar district. In an interview, Dosanjh talks of his desire to hit the big time in the early days. He recalls going to gurudwaras with the same prayer always, “Hai paramatma main kissko na jaanu, mujhe sab jaane.” (Let me become famous).
At the age of 11, his mother sent him to the city hoping that learning under his uncle, a ragi (musician who sings the Gurbani) would improve his prospects. The move was deeply upsetting for Dosanjh who felt rejected by his family. “After I left home, I was very angry with my mother. I used to love Diwali but after I left home I was never able to celebrate the festival again,” he said in an interview.
But staying with his uncle helped. Not only did Dosanjh learn tabla and harmonium but also honed his voice to start singing kirtans (devotional songs). Soon this paved the way for singing on public platforms and by 18, he had cut an album Ishq Da Uda Adaa.
To make the new artist stand out, a producer asked him to change his name from Daljit to Diljit. Years later when the people of Dosanjh Kalan village, settled in large numbers in Canada’s British Columbia, feted him, he added the village name as a surname. So Diljit Dosanjh was born.
Punjabi music producer Sukhpal Sukh, who is credited with grooming several young pop stars, says he remembers Dosanjh as a very young, raw talent. Sukh wanted to bring in a Canadian-Bombay finesse to his rustic music, and Dosanjh was a willing pupil. “We helped groom him, from how to wear a more stylish patka (turban) to fine-tuning his performance in front of the camera. We did bhangra rehearsals for a month before we cut the music video,” he recalls. Sukh produced two albums with Dosanjh, Dil (2004) and Smile in 2005 which catapulted the singer to fame and fortune.
Offers for performing at wedding ceremonies, “DJ nights” and live performances in UK, US and Canada started pouring in. In 2011, he starred in his first film Lion of Punjab but it was his third film Jat & Juliet, a record-breaking romcom, that led people to discover Dosanjh. The singer-actor later collaborated in a sequel with director Anurag Singh. Singh describes Dosanjh as a very spiritual person who took his time to open up to people. “He embodies the spirit of chardi kalan (eternal optimism and joy). When things were not going to plan on set, he would reassure me. He could always see the positive side to things,” he says.
Udta Punjab director Abhishek Chaubey, who was the first to cast him in a Hindi film, says he knew Dosanjh was perfect for the role as soon as he met him. “In an industry obsessed with appearances, he seemed very real and has a genuine humility about him,” he says.
He also has a great sense of style, carrying off big labels like Gucci and Balenciaga in traffic-stopping hues. But despite the luxury brands and cars, Dosanjh seems to have kept an enthusiasm for work . He dropped a new Punjabi album written and shot entirely during the lockdown which got 115 million views on YouTube, and is currently shooting for a Netflix film. Director Anurag Singh says, “He constantly finds new mountains to scale.” Or in Dosanjh’s own words, “Paise poose bare billo soche duniya, jat paida hoya bas choun vaste” (People worry about money darling, Jats are born to shine.)”
Coachella/ 2023
It’s a first that Punjabi music was heard at Coachella: Diljit/Jaspreet Nijher
Diljit Dosanjh created history at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California a day after Baisakhi, on April 15 by becoming the first India born artist to perform at that stage. Dressed in a mix of traditional Punjabi attire and modern accessories like yellow coloured gloves, his performance received rave reviews as people called it a fiery act. DJ Diplo was also seen dancing to Diljit’s tunes.
The singer
Diljit has made a mark in Punjabi music industry. He started his professional career in his teens and has given hits after hits in the recent past. "Ishq da Uda-Adaa" was a start with a Bang and he has never looked back ever since. Soon songs like "Dil Saade naal", "Paggan pochhveeyan", "Allraahaan Kuwariyan", "Daaka" became 'Dance anthems' on dance floors worldwide.
'Excitement' has always been Diljit's promise with every new album and songs like "Pannga", "LA" took fans by storm and was, definitely "The NeXt LeVel". From I am Diljit Dosanjh
Vulgar/ misogynistic songs
In 2013, several women's groups demanded arrest of singers Honey Singh, Jazzy B, Geeta Zaildar and Diljit Dosanjh under Indecent Representation of Women Act 1986 for their songs alleged to be "vulgar and demeaning to women". One militant organisation even sent them a warning in Jan 2013.
Some of the songs that provoked this anger include
Oye aaja tainu kidnap karan sohniye (O beautiful one, come, let me kidnap you)
and
"Mein jaagan savere te kudian chufere"
both sung by Diljit Dosanjh.
He had to apologise after his song ‘15 Saal ton ghat’ (Less than fifteen years old) faced widespread condemnation for hinting at underage sex. Women protested outside his house and his family had to apologise for his offensive songs.
Then his song ‘Patiala Peg’ was condemned, again for crossing the line.
The film actor
He started his acting career by appearing in a cameo in the film Mel Karade Rabba. His first film as a leading actor was The Lion of Punjab, which didn't do well commercially or critically. In July 2011, he rose to success when he appeared as the male lead in Jihne Mera Dil Luteya, opposite Gippy Grewal and Neeru Bajwa. The film broke all records in Punjab and turned out to be the highest grossing Punjabi film. However, this record was broken by Diljit's next venture Jatt and Juliet. The film was, for many years, the highest grossing film in Punjabi cinema, and had also won Diljit the award of Best Actor. From I am Diljit Dosanjh
2016
Filmistan debut with Udta Punjab
There have been many Sikh actors in Filmistan-=from the Randhawa brothers (Dara Singh) and the Deols (Dharmendra) to Kabir Bedi and Jimmy Shergill. However, none of them wore a turban or sported a beard at the time of joining the industry.
Diljit Dosanjh thus is Filmistan’s first Saabat Soorat (well, almost, because he trims) Sikh actor and lead actor at that.
Though his senior Shahid Kapoor, naturally, received higher billing in Udta Punjab, Diljit played the romantic lead opposite Kareena Kapoor, who is among the Top Three in Filmistan.
For pictures of Diljit Dosanjh in Udta Punjab, please see the page Central Board of Film Certification: India
Turns down Milan Luthria's Baadshaho
Revealed: Why Diljit Dosanjh quit a film opposite Ajay Devgn Jun 21, 2016 The Times of India
Emraan Hashmi has replaced Diljit Dosanjh in Milan Luthria's ambitious project, 'Baadshaho' and if recent reports are to go by, the reason is Diljit demanding a huge sum as his fee. Reportedly, the 'Udta Punjab' star showed interest in the role of an army officer, but at the time of signing the contract he quoted a huge sum as his fee.
Diljit Dosanjh: I haven’t earned much money through films
Furthermore, Diljit allegedly wants to stick to meaty roles and feels that it's better to go with solo leads rather than risk being lost among an ensemble cast. In an exclusive chat with The Times of India, Diljit had revealed that he hadn't earned much money through films. Maybe, it's his time now to bag some moolah
Box office records in Punjabi
2015: 'Sardaar Ji' created a new record of being the highest Punjabi opener in East Punjab with collections of Rs 2.02 crore.
2016: With 'Sardaar Ji 2,' the Punjabi superstar has broken his own record. The Rohit Jugraj-directorial, which also stars Monica Gill and Sonam Bajwa in the lead roles. It became the highest ever opener in the history of Punjabi cinema. According to boxofficeindia.com, the first day collection of the film is estimated to be around Rs 2.75 crore, out of which, East Punjab has contributed around Rs 2.05 crore. Diljit's Bollywood debut 'Udta Punjab,' which released just a week before, seems to have immensely helped the collections of 'Sardaar Ji 2' as 'Udta Punjab' has broadened the reach of the superstar.
Diljit’s stardom
Milestones along the fast lane
Mohini Chaudhuri The Times of India Jul 10 2016
With inputs from Aksheev Puri
Early hits
‘Lak 28 Kudi Da’,
‘Proper Patola’
Later hits
‘Patiala Peg’
‘5 Taara’
His songs in Hindi-Urdu films
He sang in films like ‘Tere Naal Love Hogya’, ‘Yamla Pagala Deewana’ and ‘Mere Dad Ki Maruti’.
And then he sang Tung Tung in Akshay Kumar’s ‘Singh is Bling’.
Superhit Punjabi films
He played the lead in Punjabi cinema’s five biggest hits of their time – ‘Jatt and Julliet 1’, ‘Jatt and Julliet 2,’ ‘Punjab 1984’ and ‘Sardaarji.’ Sardaarji 2 took a historic opening.
‘Ambarsariya’ did well.
Coke Studio
Diljit made his Coke Studio debut with Punjabi Singer Gurdas Mann in 2015 for an old song sung by the latter himself. The coke studio version went on to create the record of most number of hits in a day on Youtube. (Aksheev Puri)
Launched ‘WEARED 6’ and ‘Urban Pendu’
Diljit has two clothing brands to his name. Urban Pendu was the name of his album which he turned into a clothing brand. In 2015, he launched his second clothing brand called WEARED 6. (Aksheev Puri)
Founded D6 Entertainment
After Weared6 Diljit Dosanjh founded D6, ‘a full-service entertainment company’ in collaboration with Mannie Sadhra (Kalikwest). It was dedicated to artist management, music publishing, touring, merchandising, film, television’ and also had a music label. Tris Dhaliwal and Aman Yaar were its first two artists.
A Bengali critic on his stardom, Sardaarji 2
Mohini Chaudhuri The Times of India Jul 10 2016
Meet the udta Sikh
Whether he plays the endearing Sartaj in Udta Punjab or the heroic farmer in Sardarji 2, Diljit Dosanjh proves he can do anything, and make a success of it
Sardaarji 2. In the 2 hour 26 minute run time, I watched the actor play half the characters of the film himself, sing all the songs, and do the bhangra like there's no tomorrow. It's hard to explain what the film is about in a line or even two. There's so much going on in director Rohit Jugraj's film that it feels like watching three films at once. But here's the gist. Dosanjh plays Jaggi Khoowala, a simple organic farmer who's somewhat of a local celebrity. Early on, we see him being awarded with a medal on Doordarshan Jalandhar's Mera Pind Mere Khet for growing ginormous vegetables. He has names for them like Miss Radish. When danger befalls the farming community , the dutiful Jaggi steps up to save the day. In the very next scene, he's miraculously in Australia, working several jobs to bail out farmers back home.
But there's a problem. Jaggi has an aggressive alter-ego that keeps getting him into trouble. And this might well prove to be a spoiler, but before we are halfway through the film, there are multiple Diljits that keep popping up, ensuring his fans, of which there are plenty in Punjab, UK and Canada, get their money's worth. There are several other subplots as well, involving gangsters and a stolen bag of dollars. Actresses Sonam Bajwa and Monica Gill are in the mix too, but the `noble Sikh' as he is called, only longs for Roop and Preet, his buffaloes back home.
For the uninitiated, Dosanjh's stardom is unparalleled across Punjab. He's primarily a singer who has successfully collaborated with other popular Punjabi pop stars like Yo Yo Honey Singh and Badshah. In 2011, he debuted as an actor in The Lion of Punjab and then graduated to starring in comedies like Jatt and Juliet and Sardaarji that are considered instrumental in reviving the Punjabi film industry with their unprecedented box office collections. In an interview to Film Companion in April, Dosanjh described himself as a village pendu who is happy playing limited parts. “I can never play a rich businessman who makes an en try in a chopper,“ he said, reiterating that he's nothing more than an accidental actor.
And yet, the first day collection of Sardaarji 2 proves other wise. According to Forbes.
com, the film amassed 14.25 crore in its first week on 350 screens, making it the highest-grossing Punja bi film of the year. It's been a fantastic year for Dosanjh so far -all three of his releases (Ambarsariya, Udta Punjab and Sardaarji 2) have been successful.
Next year, he stars oppo site Anushka Sharma in her home production Phillauri.
I must confess that a lot of Sardaarji 2's punch lines that sent the family seated beside me into raptures were lost on me.But it didn't matter. In fact, the lesser I understood, the easier it was to enjoy Jaggi's antics without questioning its logic. And each time he throws a punch at someone who forgets to add a `ji' after Sardaar, you can almost hear the collective swelling of chests with pride. Just for that, I'd gladly endure a Sardaarji 3.
Courtesy Film Companion
Future projects
Phillauri with Anushka Sharma
He is also doing the first super hero film in Punjabi – Super Singh.
There is a strong rumour that Karan Johar is on the verge of signing Diljit Dosanjh for his next.
Filmography
As an actor
2010 Mel Karade Rabba
2011 Jihne Mera Dil Luteya
2011 The Lion of Punjab
2012 Jatt & Juliet
2012 Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya
2013 Jatt & Juliet2
2013 Saadi Love Story
2014 Disco Singh
2014 Punjab 1984
2015 Mukhtiar Chadha
2015 Sardaar Ji
2016 Ambarsariya
2016 Sardaarji2
2016 Udta Punjab
As a singer
2011 The Lion of Punjab
2012 Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya
2013 Saadi Love Story
2014 Punjab 1984
2015 Mukhtiar Chadha
2016 Ambarsariya
Music composer
2011 Jihne Mera Dil Luteya (theme music)
As a writer
2015 Mukhtiar Chadha
See also
Central Board of Film Certification: India for Udta Punjab
Punjabi pop songs for the 'vulgar' songs issue.
