New Delhi: It was an evening of Punjabi music, fan love and spectacular stage moments as Diljit Dosannjh kickstarted the India leg of his Aura tour at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Between music, the singer also delivered a message to his detractors: “Don’t teach Punjabis how to fight battles.”
The sold-out concert Friday went ahead under enhanced security, with hundreds of security personnel deployed around the premises and traffic restrictions enforced in the surrounding areas until midnight.
Dosanjh thanked fans for their support and said he would continue performing across India until December 20.
“It was our first show. There were a lot of attempts made to stop me. But I will be here in India till the 20th of December. The rest of the shows will be live. But I want to say a big thank you,” he told the audience.
The Delhi show faced uncertainty after Delhi Police initially withheld permission, citing security and law-and-order commitments during the festive season.
The clearance was subsequently reconsidered and granted after organisers, BookMyShow Live, submitted a detailed security, traffic and crowd-management plan and assured the police of compliance with its requirements.
The excitement for Dosanjh’s performance was palpable among fans, many of whom followed the traffic advice to travel to the venue by Metro. Many arrived wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “Punjabi Aa Gaye Oye”, while others took inspiration from the singer’s distinctive outfits sported during his international appearances.
Adding to the Punjabi flavour was a kiosk at the stadium where turbans were tied on visitors’ heads free of cost.
The evening opened with a light show before Dosanjh made a dramatic entry, standing on an elevated platform against a backdrop of the moon as it slowly descended towards the stage.
Fireworks welcomed the singer, who appeared in a white outfit and sunglasses. He kicked off the performance with “Kehnde Soniye”, setting the tone for a high-energy evening.
Dosanjh moved through his popular tracks, including “5 Taara”, “Do You Know” and “Patiala Peg”, with fans singing along. During “Do You Know”, the stadium seemed to turn into one giant chorus, with thousands of voices joining him every time the song’s titular phrase came up. He also blended the Punjabi folk number “Laung Gawacha” into the performance.
Throughout the concert, Dosanjh continuously engaged with his fans, responding to their shouts of “I love you” with “I love you too”.
For older fans, Dosanjh brought out “Kali Teri”, with one woman joining him on stage to dance. He later gifted her a hamper. He also performed “Sanson Ki Mala” and “Khuda Gawah”.
Midway through the performance, Dosanjh also invited a CRPF personnel on stage and thanked her for her service.
“Give her a big round of applause. If you are not here, we can’t feel safe. You have given us a lot. Thank you so much. I see you and feel like I’m watching my mom,” he said.
“When I saw you standing, I thought my mom was standing. Today my mom called me and told me to take care of myself. I told her not to worry,” he added.
Taking a break after performing back-to-back tracks, Dosanjh shared a message for his critics, saying, “I love everyone because I’m an artist bro”. It was in response to the criticism he faced for distancing himself from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led student protest.
“Don’t teach Punjabis how to fight battles. The film you stood on stage and mocked — Jaswant Singh Khalra ji’s film (‘Satluj’). We fought for a very long time for that film. I stay quiet, I love everyone. If someone hates us, no problem. From our side it’s only love for everyone!” he said.
Dosanjh was referring to the row over his film “Satluj”, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. After a long delay, the film was released on a streaming platform earlier this year but was withdrawn within days.
He also performed on party numbers “GOAT” and “Born to Shine”, followed by “Kinni Kinni”, “Ranjha”, “Rog” and “Hare Krishna Hare Ram” from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. The singer made room for slower numbers as well by incorporating “Ishq Di Baajiyaan”, “Ikk Kudi” and “Naina” from “Crew”.
The singer-actor brought the evening to a close with “Main Hoon Punjab” from his film “Amar Singh Chamkila”.
The finale featured an elaborate drone show, with illuminated drones forming messages such as “Panjabi Aa Gaye Oye” and “I am Artist Bro” in the night sky.
After the concert, Dosanjh thanked Delhi fans on Instagram and once again addressed the difficulties he faced while organising the show.
“Thank you so much, all the Delhi fans. We had a lot of problems. I don’t want to say what they were. Too many problems. I do shows all over the world, but I don’t face so many problems. Whenever I start a show in India, problems also start for me, especially for me. I don’t know why?
“But thank you so much, Delhi fans. No matter how many problems there were, we had to put on the show. Then it rained, and I had to perform. So I prayed to God on the phone. I said, ‘Dad, please stop the show (rain) for three-four hours. It’s our show’,” he said.
Dosanjh’s Aura India Tour will travel to several other cities over the next two months. He is scheduled to perform in Indore November 15, Ahmedabad November 21, Mumbai, November 27, Bengaluru, November 29 and Lucknow December 5. The tour will also include shows in Chandigarh December 12 and Kolkata December 19.
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