Daler Mehndi admits being upset with Diljit Dosanjh for ‘cutting his hair’ in Chamkila: ‘He keeps saying that he will never remove his pagdi…’ |

Singer Daler Mehndi commented on Diljit Dosanjh’s success but expressed disappointment over his decision to cut his hair. Diljit, who appeared with short hair in Amar Singh Chamkila, played the iconic folk singer whose music Daler was banned from listening to as a child due to its controversial lyrics.
In an interview with The Lallantop, Daler Mehndi recalled that Chamkila was a popular and trendy new singer who gained recognition, though most of his songs were controversial due to their double meanings. Daler mentioned that his parents didn’t allow him to sing Chamkila’s songs at home because of this. The film also touched on the controversy surrounding Chamkila’s music. He was tragically murdered in 1988 by gunmen while attending a show in Mehsampur, Punjab.

Daler Mehndi expressed confusion over Diljit Dosanjh’s decision to cut his hair for the Chamkila movie, despite often stating he would never remove his pagdi and presenting himself as a devotee. Daler added that he wouldn’t have made the same choice and mentioned that he is keeping his pagdi for his upcoming big movie.

In a previous interview with Radio Nasha, Imtiaz Ali clarified that Diljit Dosanjh didn’t cut his hair for the role but instead wore a wig. He explained that Diljit didn’t sacrifice any of his hair for the film, as he portrayed the character of Chamkila using the wig to match the look. Imtiaz praised Diljit for embodying the role sincerely and with good intentions.

Diljit Dosanjh recently sparked controversy over the lyrics of his songs after Telangana authorities issued a notice banning him from performing tracks with objectionable content. Addressing the issue at one of his shows, Diljit questioned why censorship wasn’t applied to Indian films as well. He pointed out that stars are often defined by the size of their weapons on screen, and almost every actor has appeared in scenes involving alcohol or cigarettes. He added that he would stop singing songs with alcohol references if such content was banned in movies too.