Singer-Actor Diljit Dosanjh: "I Start My Journey From Zero On Every Friday"

Diljit Dosanjh is an Indian actor and singer who believes that the Punjabi film industry is growing day by day in terms of the content and viewership. Diljit is one of the most famous personalities in the Punjabi film industry as well as the music industry. But he says neither his approach nor his discipline has changed towards his work after he tasted success.

The media portal IANS, Asked him about the kind of freedom that fame and success brought to him, Diljit told, "Nothing. I start my journey from zero on every Friday. We are in a profession where we are almost starting our career with every release. We actors and singers have to perform well and maintain consistency with every show, with every film. People are always interested to know about our present work and future plans, so I have to prove myself. And with success and growing opportunity, I have to maintain the regularity."

Diljit Dosanjh has worked with more than 20 films since the last nine years of his career. Diljit said: "Every time, I am playing different characters. So every day is a new day. I am not easy with it like that. Every time I am doing something new, so it is the same feeling as that of a newcomer." In the upcoming film Shadaa, he plays a wedding photographer who has himself crossed a marriageable age.

"It was quite an interesting role for me to play. This is the first time I am playing a photographer. I have a friend who is a photographer and I spent a lot of time with him, so getting the certain body language and nuance was quite easy," Diljit Dosanjh said.

Society and youngsters are influenced by the lifestyle of the film industry. The majority of youth in Punjab are settling down in foreign countries. Diljit said a statement on this, and said, "the answer lies in unemployment. That is why they are moving out of Punjab to Canada, Australia and various places in Europe. Who wants to leave their family and go... It is only the job opportunity that is taking them away... Yes, it is a real issue," he said.

Diljit's next Shadaa film will have a nationwide release. Diljit Dosanjh feels like a regional movie has the potential to do business across India, even though he is concerned about less number of screens for the movie."Of course, we will not get that many numbers of screens in cities like Mumbai or Delhi, the way we have a wide release in Punjab. Having said that, we want to reach out to people... and it is only natural that regional cinema will earn better business in its own region. We are releasing this film with subtitles so that people can enjoy it.", the singer-actor said.

"I personally prefer watching a film with subtitles rather than a dubbed version because sometimes the essence does not come across if you dub a Punjabi dialogue in Hindi," explained the actor. The actor who will be seen in his next film Shadaa which is based on a man and women who are past their eligibility criteria of the marriage. The film revolves around the system of the marriage institution in India.

"As an artist, I would continue doing experimental work and not all the experiments have to be commercially successful. Last year, when I did Sajjan Singh Rangroot, the film was not commercially superhit but it was a story worth telling," he said, adding that he equally enjoyed shooting a rom-com like Shadaa.

"The idea is to make films so that producers can earn money and I can keep doing my experimental work side by side. I also enjoy doing such comedy, light-hearted commercial films."

The actor came into limelight after the Bollywood hit Udta Punjab, and it was Diljit Dosanjh's first Hindi film which was directed by Abhishek Chaubey.

Dosanjh has completed work on his second Bollywood production Phillauri alongside Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. The film was released on 23 March 2017. It grossed over ₹5 million in its box-office.