Diljit Dosanjh's Patiala peg gets the loudest cheer in Mumbai: 'How can I not perform this one?'

Diljit Dosanjh (right) regales a fan on stage during the concert

Fifteen minutes into his Mumbai concert, Punjabi pop icon Diljit Dosanjh said, "There is nothing greater for any artiste than the love of their fans." Probably this love is driving his Dil-Luminati Tour even as he faces multitudes of advisories before each concert, starting from Hyderabad to even the Maximum City.

Diljit Dosanjh

Before his December 19 concert at the Mahalaxmi Race Course, the Maharashtra government issued an advisory, restricting him from performing songs that promoted alcohol, drugs and violence. Dosanjh, in his defiant style, addressed the elephant in the metaphorical room. "I've just returned from Kashmir. Our fauji brothers are taking such great care of everyone. It's right when they say Kashmir is the jannat on earth. When I returned, I was wondering [about] the next advisory. You don't worry about it; the advisory is for me. I'll make sure you have double the fun," he promised his cheering fans, whose enthusiasm couldn't be dampened by the winter smog, or the long walk they had to undertake from the race course's gate.

Dosanjh, easily one of India's most popular exports to the West today, referred to the Sagar Manthan to hit back at the negativity that has been brought upon his India concerts. He said, "The poison was taken by Shiv. But Shiv did not consume the poison; he held it in his throat. So, I have learnt that life and the world might throw poison at you, but you should never take it in you. Don't let your work suffer."

Diljit Dosanjh

Starting his gig at 8 pm, the musician performed his biggest chartbusters, Lover, Naina, and even the contentious Patiala peg by tweaking its lyrics. He cheekily said, "This is the song they have the maximum issues with. How can I not perform this one?" Clearly, he isn't designed to toe the line. The establishment might need to get used to it, because the crowds cheered the loudest for that one. The advisory barred him from bringing children on stage. So, Dosanjh had ladders erected around the stage, and towards the end of the concert, went down to pose for selfies with the fans. The evening's highlight was his performance of Shiv Kumar Batalvi's Ikk kudi. The stage turned blue and bubbles filled the sky as the singer, with his rendition, transported the crowd to another realm.

Amidst bhangra and beers - thankfully, the liquor license in Mumbai wasn't cancelled, unlike in a few other cities - the concert was winsome! But the bigger win is that a desi musician has charted his way to become one of the biggest in the world today. That deserves the loudest cheer. Next time, to facilitate the cheering that left my throat parched, may we request the organisers to serve water by the bottle. To pay R50 per glass is a bit steep!