An interesting article in The Wire about the pushback Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh has received since the release of his movie Sardaar Ji 3 which features Pakistani actress Hania Aamir.  It is important to note here that the film was completed in February, well before the Pahalgam terror attack. The film’s producers, “citing significant financial stakes” decided to release the film exclusively overseas on June 27, foregoing an Indian release.
Some excerpts:
Dosanjhâs influence is not confined to the subcontinent. He is, by every measure, Indiaâs first truly global music icon. From shutting down Coachella as the first Indian to headline the iconic festival, to selling out stadiums across North America and Europe with his record-breaking Dil-Luminati tour, Diljit has shattered every glass ceiling placed before Indian artists. His appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he was introduced as âthe biggest Punjabi performer on the planet,â and his collaborations with international stars like Ed Sheeran and Sia have propelled him into a league previously reserved for Western pop royalty.
That Dosanjh, so recently feted by the prime minister and the countryâs richest family, can be hounded as a traitor by the same establishment and media, is a damning indictment of the duplicity of Indiaâs current political climate. His global journey, once a source of national pride, is now being weaponised against him by the very forces that celebrated and benefitted from his rise.