Then ban alcohol: Diljit Dosanjh

Internationally acclaimed artist Diljit Dosanjh made headlines recently with his bold statements challenging the criticism directed at his music for promoting alcohol. During a performance in Ahmedabad, he called on authorities nationwide to implement a complete ban on liquor. He also announced that he would refrain from performing songs related to alcohol, in solidarity with Gujarat, a state where alcohol consumption is prohibited.

Diljit's comments came in response to the Telangana government's request for him to avoid promoting alcohol, drugs, and violence in his music ahead of his upcoming concert in Hyderabad. The artist, currently on his Dil-Luminati India Tour, made modifications to his songs Lemonade and 5 Taara but criticized what he described as a "double standard" by the authorities.

"Good news! No notices for me today," he told his audience in Ahmedabad, subtly referring to the Telangana government's warning. "And just to be clear, I won't be singing any alcohol-related songs tonight. That's because Gujarat is a dry state," he added, drawing attention to the local prohibition law.

After the crowd expressed mixed reactions regarding whether liquor was actually banned in Gujarat, Diljit said that if the state had truly enforced a liquor ban, he would be a fan of the government's decision.

He then issued a challenge to all other states: "If you shut down liquor stores nationwide, I will stop singing songs about alcohol." He further highlighted what he viewed as the hypocrisy of the authorities during the pandemic, noting, "During the lockdown, everything was closed, but liquor shops stayed open. You can't deceive the youth like this."

Diljit emphasized that he would not be intimidated by such notices and stressed how simple it is for artists to alter their lyrics. "Changing the lyrics of a song is easy," he said. "I'm no newcomer to the music scene. If I'm told not to sing a certain song, I won’t feel helpless. I’ll just tweak the lyrics, and the crowd will still enjoy it."

During his conversation with the crowd, Diljit took it a step further by suggesting the idea of starting a nationwide movement to ban liquor. "Let’s launch a movement. If every state declares itself a dry state, I will stop performing alcohol-related songs at my live shows the very next day. Or here’s another idea: if the place I perform in declares a dry day, I won’t sing any alcohol-related songs," he said.

Diljit also pointed out that despite having sung numerous devotional songs in his career, the only track people seemed to focus on was Patiala Peg. He remarked that Bollywood has an entire catalog of songs about alcohol, with stars endorsing liquor brands. "Bollywood has thousands of songs about alcohol. I only have a few. Even now, I won’t perform those songs. It’s easy for me to change the lyrics," he said, adding, "I don't drink, and I don’t endorse alcohol, but Bollywood stars do."