Diljit Dosanjh: Redefining Indian Stardom

Global superstar Diljit Dosanjh has been making headlines for some time now. And most of them are good, especially when written in the West.

• First Indian to perform at Coachella.
• First Indian artist to grace the cover of Billboard Canada.
• First Indian singer to perform in Punjabi on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
• First Indian to have a university course dedicated to his global pop culture impact in Canada.

There are a lot of firsts attached to his name.

But when it becomes news in India, the love seems to vanish.

Recently, Indian film bodies called Diljit to be banned for working with Pakistani actor Hania Aamir in Sardaar Ji 3. The Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) and the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) have threatened to boycott Diljit and the producers and have vowed to block the film’s release in India.

Why?

Following the India-Pakistan conflict in May, the Indian government not only banned Pakistani actors from working in India but also blocked their social media accounts in the country.

Actors like Fawad Khan have felt the sting of this cultural freeze, with films like Abir Gulaal stalled indefinitely.

But Diljit didn’t back down. Rather, didn’t feel the need to?

The truth is – Diljit Dosanjh has become bigger than Bollywood.

He may have started his career as a singer in a small town in Punjab. And yes, he’s appeared in major Bollywood hits like Udta Punjab, Good Newwz, and most recently, Amar Singh Chamkila. But that’s not what made him a global icon.

His unapologetic embrace of Punjabi culture – the language, the music, the identity – has made being Punjabi not just cool, but global. Diljit has done what no one else has: put India on the worldwide pop culture map, not by filtering himself through Bollywood, but by being entirely, authentically himself.

In his recent – and once again, first – English interview with Grammy President Panos A. Panay, Diljit shared that after his Coachella performance, the festival’s co-founder told him that he had “opened Coachella to the Indian market.”

To that, Panos added: “It’s not about you needing the stage to announce yourself to the world anymore, it’s about them needing your stage to announce themselves.”

And he's right. With over 140 million Punjabi speakers across the subcontinent and diaspora, Diljit doesn’t just represent India – he represents a global identity.

From sold-out shows to record-breaking concerts, like his Dil-Luminati Tour at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium – which drew over 50,000 fans, making it the largest Punjabi concert outside India – to rubbing shoulders with legends like Shakira at his Met Gala debut (yes, again, the first Punjabi artist ever invited), Diljit is redefining what global Indian stardom looks like.

He even revealed that Shakira asked him to record a Punjabi version of ‘Hips Don’t Lie.’

Shakira wants him! Let that sink in!

Which Indian celebrity is operating at this level right now?

This begs the question: Does Diljit need Bollywood – or is it the other way round?

Staying true to his humble, grounded persona, Diljit said in his interview with Panos:

“We are human beings of the briefest moment, don’t waste your time fighting with each other.”

He’s walking the talk. Despite the backlash, he’s standing firm, retaining Hania Aamir as his lead in Sardaar Ji 3. A quiet, bold move that speaks louder than any press release.

Of course, this isn’t the first time the Punjabi munda has clashed with the establishment. During his last performance in India, part of the Dil-Luminati Tour, he directly addressed the Indian media, who criticized him for promoting alcohol through his songs.

His response? “The day India bans alcohol, I’ll stop singing about it.”

Nothing can dim Diljit’s light. Don’t be surprised if Elon Musk one day hosts his concert on Mars – because Punjabi aa gaye ne.