The controversy over payment for Diljit Dosanjh’s tour ended with a statement from the singer’s manager

Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-lumati tour is in the news after Rajat Batta, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur and choreographer, claimed that the dancers were “not paid.” In response, Diljit’s manager Sonali Singh issued a statement saying that Rajat Batta and others who made these claims were never part of the tour. Soon after, Rajat issued another statement saying that he just wanted to highlight that even a major tour “does not have a budget to pay dancers.” This was followed by a post from the dance team who actually performed on stage with Diljit Dosanjh.

We would like to guide you through the entire controversy in detail:

It all started when Rajat Batta posted a message on Instagram saying, “While we as a desi dance community are truly proud to see a desi artist breaking glass ceilings and doing sold out tours across North America, I am nevertheless deeply disappointed that desi dancers are still undervalued as an industry. None of the desi dancers on Diljit’s Diluminati tour were paid and were simply 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 stepping on the toes of the desi dancing industry and continuing to condone this culture… Diljit, we are very happy about your success but your dancers should have been paid and should have been part of the production budget.”

Following Rajat Batta’s post, choreographer and YouTuber Manpreet Toor also posted a detailed post on Instagram, claiming that she was receiving messages from dancers who were “not adequately compensated” for their performances on the Dil Luminati tour. She wrote, “My loyalty lies with the dance community. While I have no personal connection with the Dil Luminati tour, I have received many messages about people not being adequately compensated, not only for preparing for their performances but also for the expenses they incur while participating in the tour. I feel it is my responsibility to speak on behalf of my fellow dancers because I have a platform and their voices deserve to be heard.”

To set the record straight, Diljit Dosanjh’s manager Sonali Singh issued a statement claiming that Rajat Batta, Manpreet Toor or any other choreographer who claimed not to be paid were never part of the Dil-luminati tour.

“Just to clarify, Rajat Batta, Manpreet Toor and other choreographers making statements regarding Diluminati tour were never part of the tour. Our official team has never contacted Rajat Batta or Manpreet Toor who are spreading false stories on social media. Rajat and Manpreet were not 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 not involved with the tour should stop spreading misinformation. Love,” Sonali Singh wrote in her note.

Shortly after, Rajat Batta posted another post saying that he never claimed to be part of the Dil Lumati tour but merely wanted to point out that even such a big tour “has no budget to pay dancers”.

He wrote, “This is an official response to Sonali Singh’s post about Diljit’s Diluminati Tour. First of all, let’s smooth things over and come together as a community. I really appreciate your willingness to engage in dialogue and sincerely hope that we can learn from this to grow together. The aim or intention was not to spread hatred, attack or disparage anyone, especially Diljit, the management team or the dancers who accepted the working conditions. Nor did I claim to be part of the tour. The aim of the post is to raise awareness that this is an issue across the industry. We just want to shed light on the issue in the hope that it can be addressed. Dancers were not included in the production budget for the Diluminati Tour…”

Rajat Batta added, “Now this is not to attack or disparage you but in a production team, this is where corners are often easily cut. The opportunity to perform with Diljit in sold-out stadiums is a dream come true and an opportunity for anyone! It is disheartening that even a tour of this calibre with huge productions and sold-out stadiums… still has no budget to pay dancers. They are asked to perform for free. What the dancers are saying is… if even at this record level there is no budget for dancers, when will it be provided? Whether dancers are willing to work for free or not, dancers should be compensated for their work.”

Choreographer Preet Chahal, who was part of the Dil-luminati tour and was mentioned by name in Sonali Singh’s post, also posted a message on Instagram. Addressing the controversy, he said that working with Diljit Dosanjh was a “priceless opportunity”. However, he did not mention that he would receive any financial compensation for the dance group’s performance.

In his note, Preet Chahal wrote, “…Performing 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, which we 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 outpouring of support, we do not wish to be represented by voices that do not understand our relationship, motivations, sacrifices and the immense value we place on such experiences. We are proud of our participation and the new opportunities it has opened up for the Punjabi community. Do not try to break our bond. We stand united.”

Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-luminati tour began on April 27 in Vancouver. The last concert of the tour took place on July 13 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

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