Diljit Dosanjh’s Pune concert is completely alcohol-free. Here’s why

The Maharashtra excise department on Sunday canceled actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh’s license to serve alcohol Language-Luminati The concert was scheduled to be held later that evening in Pune’s Kothrud area. The decision came after objections from various parties, including Kothrud’s newly elected BJP MLA, Chandrakant Patil. State Excise Commissioner C. Rajput confirmed the cancellation, saying, “The state excise department has withdrawn the permission to serve liquor at the event.”

MLA Patil expressed his strong opposition to the concert planned to be held at Kakade Farm, expressing concerns over its impact on the local community. “Such events are not compatible with the culture of the city. They will cause significant inconvenience to residents, including noise pollution and traffic congestion. I have called on the city police chief to cancel the event completely,” the statement said.

Diljit Dosanjh’s Perspective on Alcohol Themed Songs

Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh has responded to criticism of his alcohol-themed songs with a bold proposal: He will stop playing such tracks if all liquor shops in India are closed. At the Ahmedabad show, Dil-Luminati India Tour 2024Diljit reacted to a warning ahead of his Hyderabad concert instructing him to avoid songs that referenced alcohol, drugs or violence.

In response, Diljit humorously changed the lyrics of his popular songs as follows: Lemonade And 5 TaaraAlcohol and liquor stores are not mentioned. While speaking to an audience in Gujarat, a dry state, he quipped: “Good news: I haven’t received any notification today. Better news: I won’t be singing even a single song about alcohol tonight. Ask why? Because Gujarat is a dry state.”

He went further, declaring himself a teetotaler and proposing a nationwide prohibition movement. “If all states declare themselves dry states, I will stop singing about alcohol the next day. Let’s start a movement. Close you ‘thekas’ (liquor shops) and I will stop making such songs. I take this promise.”

Diljit also touched upon the economic dependence on alcohol sales and said, “Is this possible? Alcohol is an important source of income. During the pandemic period, everything except the thecas was closed. You cannot deceive young people.” Clips of his remarks, shared on his official Instagram page, have since gone viral, sparking discussions about the interplay between art, culture and social responsibility.