Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; July 23, 2019)

Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh stormed into Bollywood with a crackling, livewire of a performance in Udta Punjab. The actor followed his Bollywood debut up with the Anushka Sharma-starrer Phillauri, along with a bunch of other films including Soorma, a biopic on hockey player Sandeep Singh, for which he won immense appreciation. The actor who is reserved, yet someone who can surprise you with his funny one-liners, has showcased a variety of shades on screen with his measured performances. Coming up next, he will be seen in director Rohit Jugraj’s spoof comedy Arjun Patiala, along with Kriti Sanon. Talking about exploring the spoof comedy space in Hindi films, the actor-singer says, “I don’t understand things like what genre the film belongs to within the comedy space. The producers narrated the script and told me it was funny. Bas bande achhe lage toh kar lee, koi tension nahi hai. My choice of script is governed by two factors — either I’ve to like the people associated with the project or the storyline should be interesting. I focus more on the vibe and the type of energy I get from them.”

The actor is also known for his soulful voice, which has moved his fans as much, or more than his acting chops. The song from Ikk Kudi (Udta Punjab) went on to become a rage. He also sang numbers like Dum Dum (Phillauri) and Proper Patola (Namaste England), and now, he has also rendered a song titled Dil Todeya for Arjun Patiala. The song, which releases today, has been composed by Guru Randhawa and Sachin-Jigar.

Going by his track record in Bollywood, the actor has had his share of ups and downs. Understandably, it affects him when his films tank at the box office, but Diljit believes in moving on. In fact, he opines that every failure makes him wiser when it comes to choosing films and every success has him working twice as hard. Talking about failures, Welcome To New York was one of his films that didn’t do well at the box office. He explains, “Woh bohot buri film thi. Woh film hi nahi thi. Having said that, I don’t regret it. There are times when a film turns out differently from how it was narrated. But I don’t look at it as a bad thing. Agar aap ek journey par nikle ho toh aise hi seekhoge. I don’t have a godfather, na hi kisi ne bana ke diya hai hamein kuchh. Kuchh galtiyaan bhi karenge aur kuchh sahi bhi hoga, lekin ek achhi journey rahegi.”

He adds, “There is no doubt that I feel bad when a film flops, but I can’t sit back and not take up new work owing to that. Kaam toh karna hi hai. I think every artiste feels bad about such things because they put in so much hard work into every film. I think a director is hugely responsible for the fate of a film, so if it does well, he should be appreciated. As an actor, I can only perform well or choose to work with a good director in a good film.”

While that’s how Diljit deals with failures, he is equally conscious about not letting success go to his head. In real life, he continues to be the person he was before he became a star. When he gets time off work, he hangs out with his childhood friends and often watches his own films from the past. “I don’t want to change, as I believe ki main jitna raw rahoon utna achha hai. If I feel I’m becoming superficial, I watch my old videos and films and think it will be better if I remain the way I was back then. Kam se kam main toh khush tha, baaki kisi ka mujhe pata nahi. Puraane doston se mil leta hoon jo gaali waali bhi de dete hain. Tab lagta hai sab theek hai. I don’t wish to complicate life. I have seen a lot of people riding high on success, which is temporary. Ye bade kamaal ki cheez hoti hai ki jis bande ko success ka nasha chadhta hai, usko pata bhi nahi chalta ki kya hua hai, aur woh sochta rehta hai ki saamne wala meri baat samajh hi nahi raha hai. Harr dinn realise hote rehna chhaiye ki main kahaan galat hoon,” he says.

A singer at heart, Diljit says he is always more worried about the fate of his live shows rather than the performance of his movies at the box office. He shares, “Till date, I get all worked up about my music tours and keep thinking whether the arena will be full. A day after the release of my Punjabi film, which was a massive hit, I had a show in Toronto. But more than the film’s fate, I was worried about my show, praying that it would go well. Aaj bhi live shows mein perform karne mein mujhe darr lagta hai because anything can happen. I think that no number of rehearsals can guarantee the outcome of a live show.”

While he is a force to reckon with in the Punjabi film industry as a singer and as an actor, Diljit says he is still trying to consolidate his position in Bollywood. So, is there an image he wants to create in the Hindi film industry? “I don’t think too much about it. Main toh jahaan kaam milta hai wahaan pohoch jaata hoon. I am not image conscious. Everyone has an image of himself and they want people to perceive them according to that image. You shouldn’t take yourself so seriously. In my eyes, I have no image and so, I can mould myself in any manner,” he avers.

Though he talks freely about his professional life, Diljit is known to be fiercely guarded about his personal life. But then, every star’s life is subjected to media scrutiny and he is no exception. It was reported a few years ago that his marriage was in trouble. The actor, who is reportedly married to Sandeep Kaur and has a son, has always dodged questions pertaining to his personal life. Ask him about the speculations around his marriage hitting a rocky patch and if he feels the need to clear the air by addressing the matter, he replies, “Kuchh hua hi nahi. Yeh baat hi kyu karte hain log? Kisi ko kya matlab hai? I don’t think that people need to know about it. I am at peace. I don’t peep into people’s homes and I would not want them to look into mine. My personal life is separate from my professional life; something I have been clear about since day one. I love my family a lot. Kyunki azaadi hai bolne ki sabko, gaaliyaan bhi dete hain log internet par. Public domain par hai toh koi bhi kisi ko kuchh bhi bol sakta hai. I am happy and content that my family is safe. Main jisko pyaar karta hoon uske baare mein bura nahi sunn sakta. I am fine with my life being subjected to speculation, since I know that I am a part of the film industry, where I will be both praised and dissed. I have faced a lot of criticism in Punjab and once, there was even a protest outside my house, over one of my songs. There are some people in this business who want to stop others from growing. Kuchh log hote hain jo already uss business mein hain, aur woh sochte hain ki kyu ye banda grow kar raha hai, aur kaise rokk sakte hain iske shows. Pehle woh dekhte hain ki yeh kya kar paayega, phir jab woh banda achha karne laga hai toh usko kheechne ki naubat aati hai. They eventually realise ki ye nahi rukega toh chhod do usko, aur phir koi naya banda dhoondhte hain. Mera woh ‘chhod do ye nahi rukega’ wala phase chal raha hai.”