Hyderabad: Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh has declared that he will stop singing alcohol-themed songs if liquor shops across the country are shut down. At a Sunday concert in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, as part of his Dil-Luminati India Tour 2024, Diljit responded to criticism over his alcohol-related tracks.
This comes after he received a notice from the Telangana government ahead of his Hyderabad concert on Saturday, urging him to avoid performing songs glorifying alcohol, drugs, or violence.
In response, the artist tweaked the lyrics of his popular songs Lemonade and 5 Taara during the Hyderabad show, replacing "daaru" (alcohol) with "Coke" and "theka" (liquor shop) with "hotel." Continuing the conversation in Ahmedabad, a dry state, Diljit humorously noted, "There's good news - I didn't get any notice today. I'm not singing any alcohol-related songs because Gujarat is a dry state."
Emphasising his stance, Diljit, a self-confessed nondrinker, challenged governments across India to declare all states dry. "If all states become dry states, I'll stop singing songs about alcohol from the very next day. Let's start a movement," he said, adding that alcohol sales contribute significantly to state revenues, especially highlighted during the pandemic.
Diljit defended his artistry, pointing out the double standards in Bollywood where many songs and endorsements promote alcohol. "I've sung dozens of devotional songs, but the focus is always on tracks like Patiala Peg. I tweak my songs easily because I don't drink," he remarked.
The 40-year-old also proposed dry days on concert dates to avoid further controversy. He praised Gujarat’s dry laws and called for Punjab's Amritsar, to be declared a dry city as well. The Dil-Luminati India Tour 2024 spans ten cities, concluding in Guwahati on December 29.
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