Punjabi singer, Diljit Dosanjh has been accused of non-payment of dues to background dancers during his latest 'Dil-Luminati Tour' across the US and Canada. However, right after the above allegations, levelled by LA-based entrepreneur and dance institute owner Rajat Batta, the celebrated singer’s Bhangra team took to their social media handle and clarified that the singer and his team have treated them with great honour and professionalism throughout the period.
Rajat Batta, who runs a few dance academies, took to his Instagram account to share that as the 'Desi Dance Community', they were very proud of Diljit's achievements. He penned that he was deeply disappointed as the desi dancers are still undervalued. In his words: "While we as a Desi Dance Community are really proud of a Desi Artist breaking glass ceilings and doing sold out tours across North America...I still feel deeply disappointed that Desi Dancers are still undervalued as an industry. All of the Desi Dancers in Diljit's Diluminati Tour were not paid and just expected to perform for free..."
He added: "It's an essential part of the production, and it's really disappointing to see an artist of this calibre cut corners by stepping on the throats of the Desi Dancer industry and continue to attribute to that culture. Diljit, we are very happy for your success, but your dancers should have been paid and been a part of the production budget.”
Diljit Dosanjh's Bhangra team released a statement
On July 19, 2024, Preet Chahal, a talent manager, took to his Instagram account to clarify that they were honoured to perform alongside Diljit on his shows, which came after Rajat's statement. Preet mentioned in the post that from the moment they were contacted to the final performance, the singer and his team treated them with respect and professionalism.