If you’ve attended a Punjabi wedding in the last five years, you’ve probably bhangra-ed yourself senseless to one of his tracks. For someone who has been a constant and compulsory fixture on every single party playlist in the country, Diljit Dosanjh is modest and appears to be pay no heed to his success, and this is what makes him one of the most endearing stars.
For those who have missed the internet frenzy that he creates in his wake, Dosanjh is a Punjabi actor and recording artist and now one-fourth of the cast of Abhishek Chaubey’s Udta Punjab apart from Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor Khan. Bollywood will soon discover Dosanjh’s ability to charm the camera. His first movie, The Lion of Punjab (2011) tanked at the box office, but he has since delivered major comedy hits such as Jatt & Juliet, Disco Singh, Sardaarji and Ambarsariya. His powerful performance in Punjab 1984, which deals with insurgency in his home state, helped establish his versatility as an actor. Apart from Udta Punjab, Sardaarji 2, the sequel to his 2015 hit Sardaarji, will be released on June 24.
Dosanjh has also sung for Udta Punjab, which makes sense since he started out as a singer like several other Punjabi stars. Other than creating a constant stir with his bestselling albums and singles, Dosanjh sings in all his movies.
Dosanjh took time to establish himself as a playlist-favourite. He released his first solo album in 2000, and got his first mainstream hit only in 2011with the track “Lakh 28”, featuring Yo Yo Honey Singh. Dosanjh has since become inimitable when it comes to a good old bhangra-party scene. “Proper Patola” (2013) with Badshah is considered to be his breakthrough track, which has been viewed millions of times on the internet. His album Back2Basics won him three BritAsia TV Music Awards, establishing him as a crossover star and ensuring all his concerts are always, without exception, sold out.
Dosanjh’s performance with Gurdas Maan is one of the most viewed Coke Studio India videos, shutting up those who might have written him off as just another bhangra boy.
Dosanjh’s biggest wins are his effortless charm and his down-to-earth and approachable persona, which ensure that his fans love him. He has millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter and constantly interacts with those who send him videos, Dubshash clips, and pictures. He frequently thanks his stars, the almighty, and his fans on all his social channels.
Dosanjh calls himself the “Urban pendu” (urban villager) and converses, tweets and posts on social media in his mother tongue. He hails from the Dosanjh Kalan village, and used to sing at the local gurudwara as a kid. Born Daljit Dosanjh, he was advised to change his name when he entered the entertainment industry. His name translates into “the one who wins hearts”, and he has been doing just that successfully, never forgetting his roots but building on them.
Diljit Dosanjh is working towards a sort of stardom that is durable and is supported by the audience for whom he performing. From being told that he could never be a Bollywood actor because of his turban to securing his first role because of it, the Sikh actor is taking the pind to the world and making it dance while he’s at it.