A recent video has surfaced of singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya reacting strongly to Diljit Dosanjh's remarks during a concert, igniting a new controversy. The conflict arose from Dosanjh's response to criticism regarding his collaboration with Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in the movie "Sardaar Ji 3".
During his Dil-Luminati tour, Dosanjh addressed the backlash with powerful lines that resonated with the audience. He stated, "Agar khilaaf hai…toh hone do, jaan thodi hai. Agar khilaaf hai…hone do, jaan thodi hai. Yeh sab dhuaah hai, aasmaan thodi hai. Agar khilaaf hai…toh hone do, jaan thodi hai. Yeh sab dhuaah hai, aasmaan thodi hai. Sabhi ka khoon shaamil hai iss mitti mein, kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai," which translates to, "If they are against it, let them be, it's not life-threatening. It's all smoke, not the sky. Everyone's blood is mixed in this soil; Hindustan doesn't belong to anyone's father". This statement, emphasizing inclusivity and shared heritage, drew immense applause.
Abhijeet Bhattacharya responded to Dosanjh's statement with a video on his Instagram handle. In the video, Bhattacharya countered, "Hindustan hamare baap ka hain…Hindustan hamare baap ke baap ke baap ke purvajo ka hain," meaning, "Hindustan belongs to our father...Hindustan belongs to our father's, father's, father's ancestors". The post concluded with a picture of Bhattacharya holding the Indian flag, with the song "Sare jahan se acha" playing in the background. He captioned the picture, "Hindustan Hamare BAAP ka hai..".
Amidst this controversy, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has voiced his support for Diljit Dosanjh, calling him a genuine patriot. Ali defended Dosanjh, stating, "I don't know the details, but casting someone isn't the decision of the actor. I don't know how it went, but I know that uske andar desh prem bahut zyada hai (He loves his country too much). Jo log dekh paayenge unke andar ke sach ko, unko ye samajh mein aa jaayega (People who can see the truth, will understand)". Ali further added, "Fakeness ke saath woh kuch nahi karta hai (He doesn't fake things). No one asked him to do it. At the end of all his concerts, he says, 'Main hoon Punjab', with the Indian flag".
This isn't the first time Abhijeet Bhattacharya has publicly criticized other artists. Recently, he has also criticized Punjabi singers Karan Aujla and Diljit Dosanjh, saying that their concerts prioritize dance over singing. He stated that his concerts focus on pure music where the audience sits and enjoys the performance. He claimed that their concerts are "all dance, no singing," and his children would not spend money on their tickets. He also said that if these artists were to perform in smaller cities like Kolhapur, they wouldn't sell any tickets.
Bhattacharya has also expressed his displeasure over not receiving due credit for his song "Woh Ladki Jo," which was used in a mashup during Dua Lipa's performance in India. He felt that the credit was wrongly attributed to Shah Rukh Khan.
