Diljit Dosanjh photographed during the tour. (Courtesy: diljitdosanjh)

New Delhi:

Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-lumati tour has been in the news after Rajat Batta, a Los Angeles-based businessman and choreographer, claimed that the dancers had “not been paid.” In response, Diljit’s manager Sonali Singh issued a statement saying that Rajat Batta and others making such claims had never been a part of the tour. Shortly after, Rajat released another statement saying that he just wanted to highlight that even a major tour “did not have the budget to pay the dancers.” This was followed by a post of the dance team performing with Diljit Dosanjh on stage.

Let us explain the whole controversy in detail:

It all started when Rajat Batta shared a note on Instagram that read, “While we as a desi dance community are very proud of a desi artist breaking barriers and performing sold-out tours across North America… I am still deeply disappointed that desi dancers continue to be undervalued as an industry. None of the desi dancers on Diljit’s Diluminati tour were paid, and were only expected to perform for free…”

Rajat Batta continued: “…It is an essential part of the production and it is really disappointing to see an artist of this calibre cutting corners by trampling on the industry of desi dancers and still taking credit for that culture… Diljit, we are very happy for your success but your dancers should have been paid and been part of the production budget.”

Following Rajat Batta’s post, choreographer and YouTuber Manpreet Toor also shared an elaborate post on Instagram. She claimed that she is receiving messages from dancers who “were not compensated fairly” for performing on the Dil-Luminati Tour. She wrote, “My loyalty lies with the dance community. Although I personally have no connection with the “Dil-Luminati Tour”, I have received many messages about people who were not compensated fairly, not only for preparing for their performances but even for the expenses incurred to participate in the tour. I feel it is my responsibility to speak up on behalf of my fellow dancers because I have a platform and their voices deserve to be heard.”

To clear the air, Diljit Dosanjh’s manager Sonali Singh issued a statement saying that Rajat Batta, Manpreet Toor or any other choreographer who claimed not to have received their salary had never been a part of the Dil-luminati tour.

“Just to clarify, Rajat Batta, Manpreet Toor and other choreographers who are making statements for the Diluminati tour were never a part of the tour. Our official team never contacted Rajat Batta or Manpreet Toor, who are putting forward a false narrative on social media. Rajat and Manpreet were not a part of the Diluminati tour in any way. The official choreographers of the Diluminati tour are Balwinder Singh, Preet Chahal, Divya and Parth (Vancouver). Anyone who is not involved in the tour should stop spreading misinformation. Love and regards,” Sonali Singh wrote in her note.

Shortly after, Rajat Batta shared another post saying that he never claimed to be a part of the Dil-lumati Tour and only meant to highlight that even a big tour like this “had no budget to pay dancers.”

He wrote, “This is an official response to Sonali Singh’s post regarding Diljit’s Diluminati tour. First and foremost, let’s please spread the word and come together as a community. I really appreciate your willingness to dialogue and I sincerely hope that we can learn to grow together from this. The goal or intention was not to spread hate, attack or belittle anyone, especially Diljit, the management team or the dancers who agreed to the conditions to work. I also did not make any claim that I am a part of the tour. The goal of the post is to raise awareness that it is an industry-wide issue, we just want to shed light on the problem in the hope that it can be addressed. The dancers were not included in the production budget of the Diluminati tour…”

Rajat Batta added, “This is not to attack you or belittle you for it, but it is an aspect that is often easily overlooked in a production team. Getting the opportunity to perform with Diljit in packed stadiums is a dream experience and opportunity for anyone. It is disheartening that even a tour of this calibre, with massive productions, packed stadiums… still doesn’t have a budget to pay dancers. They are asked to perform for free. The point that the dancers are trying to make is… if even at this record level there is no budget for dancers, at what point does it come into play? Regardless of whether dancers are willing to work for free or not, they should be offered compensation for their work.”

Choreographer Preet Chahal, who was part of the Dil-luminati tour and whose name is also mentioned in Sonali Singh’s post, also shared a note on Instagram. Addressing the controversy, he said that working with Diljit Dosanjh was a “priceless opportunity.” However, he did not mention anything about receiving monetary compensation for the dance troupe’s performance.

In her note, Preet Chahal wrote, “…Acting alongside Diljit Dosanjh was a priceless opportunity that allowed us to showcase our Punjabi culture on a global stage… We stand united in our decision to perform, made with full awareness and acceptance. This experience has enriched our lives in immeasurable ways and we express our deepest gratitude for this incredible opportunity. While we appreciate the concern, we do not wish to be represented by voices that do not understand our relationship, our motivations, sacrifices and the immense value we place on such experiences. We are proud of our participation and the new paths it has opened for the Punjabi community. Please do not try to break our bond. We stand united.”

Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-luminati tour kicked off on April 27 in Vancouver. The final show of the tour was held at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on July 13.