Diljit Dosanjh on Welcome To New York and more: I’m a positive person who loves comedy

Punjabis are known to be jovial, loud and outspoken. But Diljit Dosanjh seems to be an exception — he’s an introvert who is humble to the core. Despite earning acclaim for his Hindi debut Udta Punjab, which was followed by Phillauri, the actor-singer says that he probably doesn’t deserve what he has got in Bollywood. He confesses, “I don’t know many people here, yet I get offers. Even Udta Punjab just came my way. I haven’t put in much effort to get work here.”

Sonakshi Sinha, who shares screen space with the Punjabi star in Welcome To New York, told us that he is a quiet person off screen, “but once the camera is on, he transforms completely.” That’s what you see in the trailer too, a quirky and funny Diljit.

He tells us it doesn’t take much to make him laugh. He elaborates, “I believe in keeping things light and staying happy. I’m a positive person who loves comedy. Kuch toh humour chahiye na life mein? I love watching stand-up comedy, funny films and reading jokes. In fact, my day starts with jokes. I play pranks on my close friends and enjoy a good laugh with them.”

A self-confessed fan of Govinda, Diljit says, “Govinda has an incredible comic timing and I love all his films, especially Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan and Dulhe Raja.”

Incidentally, Welcome To New York is Diljit’s first out-and-out comedy movie. Though he has done many romcoms in Punjabi, he has never attempted a full-fledged comedy.

“Dheeraj Ratanji, who has scripted many of my Punjabi films, called to tell me that a Hindi movie is being made on an awards show. He said it would be shot at the event ‘live’. It was a new concept, and I had no idea how they would do it,” he recalls, adding, “But I was performing at that awards that year, and I got to know that several stars would be a part of the film. The makers wanted me for one particular role. I thought so many stars are in it, I am still new (to Bollywood), so I can always do it.”

Shooting for it, though, was completely chaotic. “I didn’t know what was happening,” laughs Diljit, who was on standby for four days. “There was no fixed call time. I would be called to shoot for the film at any time. Once I was called at 2 am,” he recalls.

He states that as an artiste, all kinds of roles are challenging for him. “Whether it’s an emotional or a comic scene, both are challenging for me. Neither is it easy or difficult. I know some actors feel that making people laugh is difficult. But I think if there’s no honest emotion, the audience won’t connect with you, whether you are serious or comic,” he signs off.