Diljit Dosanjh on Bollywood: Main industry mein true friends banane nahi aaya

Actor Diljit Dosanjh calls Bollywood a ‘very good place’, and reveals what he thinks when some actors claim that ‘box-office collections don’t matter to them.’

He’s steadily found his footing in Bollywood ever since he entered the industry with Udta Punjab (2016), alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan. And there’s no slowing down Diljit Dosanjh. However, he hasn’t ditched regional cinema, which propelled him to stardom. His latest Punjabi film, Shadaa, is doing well at the box office. He takes some time to open up, but the moment he calls you ‘paaji’ (brother) is when you know he’s at ease. Excerpts from an interview:

Diljit will next be seen in Arjun Patiala opposite Kriti Sanon.

Your recent Punjabi film Shadaa clashed with Kabir Singh at the box office. Did that play on your mind? Also, doesn’t it get hectic juggling two film industries and music?

It’s an everyday exercise which we have to do. It’s not as if you do one thing one day and forget it the next day. And please don’t say ‘clash’. Two films released on a single day, which is not a problem. I think we got good screens in Punjab. Thank God we got good screens in Delhi too. No doubt, we didn’t get as many screens in Mumbai, we knew that. It would have been a problem if the theme would have been the same for both films. But one was Punjabi film, the other a Hindi film. We are lucky that when our film releases in Punjab, people go and watch it.

How’s Bollywood as a place? Have you been able to make true friends here?

It’s a very good place. Kaam jahaan bhi mile bahut achhi jagah hai. Main true friends banane nahi aaya iss industry mein, mere true friends already hain. Lekin jinke saath main kaam karta hoon, unke saath mere achhe equations hain.

It’s always said that the film industry is a very cut-throat
one…

That’s okay, what’s bad in that? There’s a guy, whose one film doesn’t work, second film doesn’t work, the next one too doesn’t work, so the producer will think that he should work with someone else. But the actor will also think that
let’s try something else. Buri baat nahi hai yeh bolna. But paaji, woh toh aap kisi bhi
field mein dekh lo. If you are an insurance policy person, you are told ‘go and sell
these many policies first, then we will finalise your job!’ Yeh sirf glamour ki wajah se news iski (films) uchhalti zyaada hai. Otherwise, the equations are the same in every industry.

Your next Hindi film is Arjun Patiala. Then comes Good News with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Akshay Kumar. How would you describe this phase in your career?

I am very excited. All the films that I have lined up this year are in the commercial zone. In the past one or two years, I had done serious cinema. Of the films which will come next year, one or two will again be on serious subjects. This year is my ‘commercial year’.

How important are box office collections for you, as some tend to say ‘it doesn’t matter to us, as long as the film is good’..?

Come on! Box office collection hi toh important hain. I don’t know about others, but I will speak for myself. Your producer didn’t get his money back, people didn’t appreciate your film — this is not good for me. I want that my film should do good business at the box office. If it’s a good film, then it should work. Aisi kaisi film hai [which doesn’t work at the box office]!

Interact with the author on Twitter/ @RishabhSuri02