Pan-India’s music star Diljit breaks Bollywood mold
Pan-India’s music star Diljit breaks Bollywood mold
Diljit Dosanjh, a 41-year-old musician, actor and producer from Punjab in northwestern India, is rewriting the formula for success in the world’s fastest-growing music market. Moving away from traditional film soundtracks with his hip-hop and rap-infused rhythms and high-profile profile with pop icons like Ed Sheeran and Sia, Dosanjh is breaking boundaries and amassing a massive following.
Last summer, Dosanjh made an appearance on The Tonight Show festuring Jimmy Fallon, where he was introduced as “the biggest Punjabi performer on the planet.” He regaled fans with hits Born to Shine and G.O.A.T.
According to Warner Music Group, his 2024 Dil-Luminati tour sold 742,000 tickets worldwide, making it the biggest tour of any Indian artist.
For decades, Indian music has been synonymous with Bollywood, whose glossy soundtracks have long dominated the country’s music market. But a seismic shift is underway, led by India’s rising global music star.
The North America and European legs drew more than 346,000 fans combined and brought in more than $44 million.
In a phone interview while touring in the Middle East, Dosanjh, who sings in his native Punjabi, explained that Indian music is not Just Bollywood music. The traditional folk music in every part of the country is supremely good. It’s unfortunate that the world so far could only get a taste of Bollywood music that is commercial.
Dosanjh’s unique blend of musical styles, combined with his winsome personality and ubiquitous social media presence, is raising the profile of Indian music and proving to be a successful bet for his label Warner Music, a late entrant to the Indian market when it arrived in 2020.
News Edit KV Raman
