Breaking Borders: Diljit Dosanjh's Impact on Representing Punjabi Artists Globally

Written by: Dil Bola / Image from Andrew Chin/Getty Images

Diljit Dosanjh, once again, etched his name in history. This time we were privileged witnesses to his remarkable journey in person through his Dil-Luminati Tour, and also, closely on social media.

Diljit’s influence is global and it’s not stopping any time soon

For those who don’t know him, Diljit is not only a musician but a well known actor in both Panjabi and Hindi cinema. He has spent his career breaking the ever too common stereotypes of Sikh Panjabis within the Indian film industry — specifically those who wear a dastaar or turban. Breaking serious social and cultural stereotypes alongside his many talents make it apparent as to why Diljit continues to reach new heights of superstardom. Most recently, Dosanjh has acted in a new film, Chamkila, which albeit was controversial for many reasons including issues of domestic violence, still highlighted and explored the rising stardom of Panjabi and Dalit-identifying folk singer, Amarjit Chamkila. Among all opinions of the film and its background lies the issue of caste which the film intricately navigates and explores for the viewer to deduce the long lasting effects of casteism with a lens that explores the issue contemporarily and within the 1980s, when Chamkila rose to superstardom himself.

Last year, Dosanjh was the first Panjabi to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the first South Asian to play a set on their main stage. This was ground breaking for so many South Asian artists with dreams of doing the same. Amongst videos on YouTube and social media of the event was a crowd full of folks from all different backgrounds rocking it out to Diljit’s Bhangra tunes – invoking a sense of worldy and globalised culturemaking. Most recently, on April 27th, 2024, Diljit continued to expand his musical legacy and reach, performing for over 50,000 people in Vancouver, Canada. This time, Diljit broke records as the first Indian-origin and Panjabi musician to play this large of a show outside of India – he sold out BC Place Stadium to crowds full of not just youngsters, but varying Panjabi families including children and the elderly.

A Celebrity that other celebrities also adore

It’s not just that Dosanjh breaks multiple records as he continues to make his mark across multiple industries, he also manages to create unforgettable experiences and melt hearts across people from various backgrounds and walks of life – often emulating the magic and unconditional love that is so unique to feel when he performs. Yet, as a contemporary pop icon, he also holds a place similar to Taylor Swift as a musician —– the musician that other celebrities obsess over. Diljit’s concerts are just as star studded as other mainstream chart breaking musicians who have had the créme de la créme of the entertainment industry pay for tickets just like us to watch her perform. In the same example, Swift’s had the likes of Jessica Chastain, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Goldblum and many more.

Similarly, Dosanjh has actors, businessmen, directors and other notable film industry leaders attend his performances and they sing along word for word just as the Swifties would. A recent example of such is his performance at the Ambani wedding, where he performed alongside a power-celebrity roster including the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna, and for notable film figures like Karishma and Kareena Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Vicky Kaushal and their contemporaries within their respective field.

Diljit brings pride to the entire South Asian community and its effect is evident through all of his experiences and achievements within the industries he works in. But, one such moment for me really reflected this part of his personality and journey as a performer and musician. At the Vancouver stop of his Dil-Luminati Tour, Dosanjh brought a young 6 year old boy on stage while performing one of the songs on his set. The child was wearing an exact copy of Dosanjh’s Coachella stage outfit last year. The two danced it out together over one of his latest tracks, and the shine in their eyes could be seen from the furthest seats. The symbolism of the moment was so wholesome – how beautiful that the next generation gets to experience Panjabi culture so interactively and so freely not just within the diaspora, but openly, in public, too.

Snippets of Diljit’s historic Dil-Luminati Concert in Vancouver, BC on April 27th, 2024

Things are changing, and Diljit's stewarding how we interact with Panjabi culture going forward as a diaspora

Given that the millenial generation is growing up and the elder Gen Zs are too, it’s now our responsibility to the future generation to ensure we stay representing who we are, so that the effect and understanding is positive instead of negative. And Dosanjh is doing exactly that within the music and film industry – he is carrying forth culture, honouring, and acting as a medium for Punjabi culture to cultivate and evolve to translate into the world of a new generation.

In 2024, we all know that representation – especially within media – is very important. Representation allows young people to identify with someone who understands them from a cultural nuance point. As a result, they are able to form strong identities and negate negative stereotypes they may be experiencing and processing as they learn to understand themselves and navigate the complexities of the world. Cultural representation supports a strong sense of self esteem and that would naturally affect mental health.

Negative stereotypes are not limited to Apu from the Simpsons – in fact, Hindi cinema has on numerous occasions, consistently portrayed stereotypes of Sikhs as loud, uncouth, rustic, and clownish characters. I myself cringe every time I hear “Balle Balle” come out of a Sardar character’s mouth in a Hindi film. Dosanjh provides range for Sikhs — he’s played the loud, fun, jokey character, but he has also played very serious, mature characters, romantic leads, and more that we don’t typically see for Sikh characters. From his first role as ASI Sartaj Singh in Udta Panjab where he touches on the issue of drug usage by Panjabi youth to his latest appearance as the suave customs officer, Jaiveer Singh in Crew, Dosanjh holds range and creates opportunities ffor complex characters that add to Sikh representation to emerge on the silver screen – breaking away from cultural stereotypes to more accurate and varied representation of who we can be whilst being proud of our identities,how we look like, and the values we represent.

Snippets of Diljit’s historic Dil-Luminati Concert in Vancouver, BC on April 27th, 2024

Breaking Stereotypes looks like this

On the eve of his historic concert in Vancouver, Diljit said: “they said Sardars can't be fashionable, and I said, 'I will show you.' They said Sardars can't star in films, so I showed them. They said Punjabis can't thrive in Mumbai, and I showed them.” And he continues to show us all as he continues to make his mark through history while he continues to show up to represent Punjabis, the Punjabi language, and Punjabi culture across the world through the medium of performing arts.

Diljit Dosanjh has paved the way for so many South Asians in the future, and more South Asian artists continue to do the same. Punjabi singer Karan Aujla recently won the 2024 Juno Fan Choice award and AP Dhillon played at the Coachella Festival in California this year. It’s clear that South Asian artists are continuing to break barriers, and in another celebratory statement, many are breaking so many stereotypes and records all around the world, and proving that when you have a dream, you can achieve it – no matter what.

Article written by HIMMAT MEDIA Resident Writer Dil Bola with edits by Journal Editor Jagreet Dhadli

Last edit to include the film Chamkila’s exploration of casteism on May 8th 2024