Influencer Defends Diljit Dosanjh on High-Ticket Price Controversy

Diljit Dosanjh, a global music icon, is about to begin his Dil-Luminati India Tour 2024, which has already sold an amazing 2.5 lakh tickets. This is the highest-grossing musical tour in India. The tour will kick off in New Delhi on October 26, with additional stops in major cities like Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Pune, and Kolkata, and will end in Guwahati on December 29.

Controversy Over Ticket Prices

Mumbai-based comedian and social media influencer Saumya Sahni recently criticized the high ticket prices for Diljit's concerts. She expressed concern and said, "I might regret saying this later, But I absolutely have to say that an Indian artist has no right to charge Rs 20-25 thousand for a concert when he is playing in six cities. He can play 3 sets. Because your core audience has no money, no employment, and very limited means of entertainment. There are very few artist who are able to perform for this country in their language. To see someone like him sing in our language means a lot but middle-class people have no access to him."

She added, "It is very wild to me that Kids and families could have gone for his concert. He makes so much money with his overseas shows that he could have been more considerate towards his fans in India and charged a little less. In comparison, international artist charge around $100-150 for a ticket. Look at Lollapalooza, with its massive lineup, but still, the passes are affordable.”

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A post shared by Saumya Sahni (@mrsholmes221b)

Support for Diljit Dosanjh

In response, another influencer, who goes by the name In Other Words on Instagram, defended Diljit's pricing strategy. He argued that if Diljit can sell tickets at these prices, it means he has a dedicated audience willing to pay for the experience. Let's see what he said:

In the video, the influencer said, "Yes, but I say it with no regrets that an Indian artist has the full right to charge ₹20000, 25000, 30000, or even 1 lakh for a concert. If he's able to sell tickets worth ₹25,000, then he has an audience. And a core audience at that. Not that haters are buying these expensive tickets. The Indian audience that you're claiming is unemployed and penniless, they're selling out the concert even at ₹25,000. So, I'd say the artist is, on the contrary, charging less. Because we happily pay ₹75,000 to lip-sync stars,” said the influencer in Hindi, referring to Canadian pop star Justin Bieber's concert in Mumbai in 2022, where he allegedly lip-synced to his hit songs and the ticket prices went up to ₹75,000."

The influencer also stated, “Saada munda bhi toh global star hai (Our boy is also a global star). He also has the right to charge these prices. Just because he's an Indian artist, he doesn't have that right? He's struggled for 25 years to reach the rate of ₹25,000. You want to support new artist, but won't even buy ₹50 tickets. But you'll spend here because there are bragging rights involved. You'll go to your office on Monday, show your reel and your photo, and say, ‘See, I went to Diljit's concert.' So, it's a matter of status to go to his concert. You won't tell Gucci or Rolex to spend their stuff cheap because the middle class can't support it. Then why are you applying the dal-chawal logic here? Everyone knows he's at his peak right now and that people in India only chase a few celebrities. His peak won't last long. If he's trying to capitalize it now, then let him do it, no? And a more important point: India doesn't speak only Punjabi. So please regret what you say.”

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A post shared by In Other Words (@doosre_shabdon_mein)

The controversy surrounding Diljit Dosanjh concert ticket prices highlights the difficulty of finding entertainment in a country of diversity and economic hardship. Some criticize the high cost, others defend the right to set prices that reflect the artist's success and market demand.