Singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh has decided to postpone his US tour after Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) wrote to him asking him not to perform at a show promoted by a Pakistani national.
Dosanjh posted a message on Twitter informing his decision, although he denied any link between the show and any Pakistani national. He also said that he was not aware of any intimation by the federation to not take part in shows promoted by Pakistanis. He said that his contract is only with “Shri Balaji Entertainment”, all his dealings are with this organisation and nobody else is mentioned in the contract, as alleged in the letter sent by the Federation.
https://twitter.com/diljitdosanjh/status/1171669583557746688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
But responding to the letter of FWICE, he has decided to postpone his Houston show at this time, he informed. He ended the message with “I love my country and will always stand for the greater interest of the nation”.
On September 3 the Federation of Western India Cine Employees had sent a letter to the Minister of External Affairs asking them to cancel the visa of Dilip Dosanjh, who was scheduled to visit the US to perform in a show on 21st September. The federation wrote that the show is being promoted by Rehan Siddiqi, a Pakistani national. The FWICE had said that Dosanjh is a thorough gentleman and a superb singer/actor, but he has been allured by Siddiqi.
On the light of this situation, the federation had requested the minister to cancel the visa granted of Diljit Dosanjh and his troupe, or reject the application for visa. FWICE said that this step will act as a deterrent to those who have forgotten their moral responsibility and voice of their conscience.
FWICE also a letter Dosanjh also on 6th September, asking him to cancel the show in USA, as it will be befitting in the current time.
The federation said that there is an unbridled race of artists/ singers/ dancers/ anchors/performers to perform in shows promoted by Pakistani national Rehan Siddiqi, despite strict warnings issued to them. They said that they are deeply concerned and anguished by various artists as they are ‘knowingly’ performing in India despite the film bodies strict warnings.
In a press release issued on 31st August, they had said that actor Saif Ali Khan and singer Shreya Ghoshal are performing in the USA at the behest of Sddiqi, who is the promoter of the shows.
“We have taken a serious note of it, as FWICE has zero tolerance for such performers and condemn it as antinational and unpatriotic bordering to treason with your own country”, the said. The FWICE asked the artists not to give priority to monetary considerations and refrain from being part of any project involving Pakistani nationals and performers anywhere in the world.
Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) is a film industry worker’s union based in Mumbai. It has over 5,00,000 members, and it is the mother body of over 20 organisations related to various crafts of TV and cinema.