Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, currently on his Dil-Luminati India Tour, has hit back at what he called “fake news” surrounding his songs and their alleged promotion of alcohol. Performing in Lucknow on Friday, Diljit addressed the ongoing controversy and a news anchor's recent challenge to create hit songs without referencing alcohol.
The 40-year-old posted a video on his X account where he said, "There's an anchor on TV who challenged me to make a hit song without alcohol references. For your kind information, sir, songs like Born To Shine, Kinni Kinni, GOAT, Naina, and Lover are far more popular than Patiala Peg. Your challenge is pointless."
The hit singer said he was not defending his songs but questioned the selective outrage. “I just want to say that if you want to censor songs then the censorship should be on Indian cinema as well,” he claimed.
He added, “Which big actor has not done an alcohol song or scene? Censorship should apply to films too. Everyone thinks singers are soft targets, but that's not the case.”
He also highlighted his credibility as an artist, saying that his work was “not cheap.” “My films have received National Film Awards as well. It's very easy for us to run a disclaimer that alcohol is injurious to health during concerts and sing songs, but then it will look like we are targeting someone," he said.
“So, if you have spread fake news, I challenge you to run the correct news,” he concluded.
The controversy began after the Telangana government recently asked him not to perform songs that glorify alcohol and drugs during his Hyderabad concert. In response, Diljit challenged the government to observe "dry days" when his shows are scheduled.
He also found a creative workaround, tweaking lyrics by replacing words like “daaru” with “coke” and “theka” with “hotel.” Following this, he announced that he would similarly avoid alcohol references during his Ahmedabad concert, respecting Gujarat's dry-state laws.
The next Dil-Luminati India Tour is in Pune, continuing with upcoming performances in Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Indore, and Chandigarh. The tour will end in Guwahati on December 29.
