Diljit Dosanjh feels he was not a 'deserving candidate' to perform at Coachella

Diljit Dosanjh

In 2023, Indian singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh made history by becoming the first Punjabi singer to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. However, the singer feels that he was deserving of the opportunity and does not believe that he is a great singer. The actor who is currently gearing up for the release of his film 'Amar Singh Chamkila' was talking On The Ranveer Show.

Diljit Dosanjh said that performing at Coachella wasn't a dream for him but it was certainly on his checklist. "Although I wasn't a deserving candidate. I feel so. It was God's will. I knew it (Coachella) was big and for the first time, someone from India was going to perform there. It was a huge deal," said Diljit.

"I feel like I'm not that great a musician, but I end up getting good opportunities. I haven't learnt acting from anywhere, yet I'm working with Imtiaz Ali. I had never imagined I'd do a film with him. Maybe it happened because of Chamkila. He gave me that chance. Imtiaz Ali signing Diljit Dosanjh isn't necessary. There are so many others whom he can hire," Diljit added.

Last year Diljit did a nearly 45-minute set at Coachella on day 2. Dressed in an all-black traditional Punjabi attire, he performed to hits like G.O.A.T., Patiala Peg, and Lemonade. "Now, it has been written in history. Punjabi aa gaye hun Coachella (Punjabis have reached Coachella). And those who don't understand my songs, catch the vibe," Dosanjh said on stage in Punjabi.

About Amar Singh Chamkila:

Dosanjh said he mostly relied on director Imtiaz Ali's "clear vision" to create Chamkila on the screen. Chamkila, a grassroots singer who ruled street concerts in the '80s Punjab, was shot dead along with his singer-wife Amarjot in 1988. "I had to unlearn things and start from zero. It's a plus point in the life of an artist to do this. It's tough to start from zero because you often get lost in your own personality and you feel this is who you are (but) the best thing about an actor's job is that you get the opportunity to start from zero, and I look at this as an opportunity," Dosanjh told PTI in an interview.

The 40-year-old actor said he relied completely on Ali to portray the nuances of Chamkila, regarded as one of the best live-stage performers to have come from Punjab.

"I didn't do much prep for the film, Imtiaz sir prepped a lot. He had a clear vision about the character of Chamkila. I knew Chamkila as an artist, but I had no idea about how he was as a person or how he would perform on stage. I got a lot of help from Imtiaz sir," he added.