News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 17th December 2024
Diljit Dosanjh, a Punjabi musician, said during his Chandigarh concert on December 14 that he will no again play in India unless the country improves its live show infrastructure. The news, which was widely disseminated via viral videos, comes as Dosanjh nears the end of his hugely successful ‘Dil-Luminati Tour,’ which has drew large audiences in North America, Europe, and India.He also advocated that future events have stages encircled by the crowd on all four sides to provide a more immersive experience.
Videos circulating online show Dosanjh speaking candidly to the audience in Punjabi between songs. He said, “We don’t have the proper infrastructure for live shows here. This is a significant source of revenue, and many people rely on it for work. Until the infrastructure improves, I won’t be doing shows in India again.” Diljit’s ‘Dil-Luminati Tour,’ which began on April 27, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada, has been a watershed moment for Punjabi music. He headlined Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium, which drew over 54,000 people—the highest crowd for a Punjabi concert outside India. The trip went through key North American cities, including Edmonton and Dallas.
During the European leg, Dosanjh played in Paris, Amsterdam, and London, making him the first South Asian artist to play three gigs at The O2 Arena. Back home, his India tour began on October 26 in New Delhi and included stops in Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. Additional concerts were added in response to great demand. The tour will wrap up with a big finale in Guwahati on December 29, following a performance in Mumbai on December 19.
At the Chandigarh presentation, Dosanjh dedicated his performance to India’s FIDE World Chess Champion, Gukesh Dommaraju, and praised the 18-year-old’s tenacity and hard work.The tour hasn’t gone without controversy. Before his Chandigarh concert, Dosanjh was chastised for spelling Punjab as “Panjab” in a social media post. Some followers claimed that the spelling was related with Pakistan. Furthermore, the lack of the Indian tricolour emoji in the same article generated more discussion.Responding to the response, Dosanjh explained that both spellings—’Punjab’ and ‘Panjab’—refer to the same cultural identity, denying any claims of ulterior purposes.
Despite these problems, the ‘Dil-Luminati Tour’ was a huge success, with tickets selling out in minutes.
