Amid the recent controversy surrounding Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh's new film Sardaar Ji 3, a video of him is being shared to claim that following an alleged demand for a ban on the Punjabi star, he replied that he is not interested in collaborating in Bollywood.
In the video, Dosanjh states, "I don't need to work in Bollywood. I have never aspired to become a big Bollywood artist. I love music, and I can create it without being bound by anyone. No superstar can tell me that this music won't work, or that someone else's song would work better; none of this works on me. No one can stop us or me from making music. I will keep making music for as long as I want to, and for as long as God allows me to. And I don't give a d**n about getting work in Bollywood.
Who shared it?: This claim was shared by X user Megh Updates, who has been called out before by Team WebQoof for spreading misinformation.
What we found: At first, we ran a relevant keyword search and found that this video was from an interview by Film Companion conducted in 2021.
We came across the full interview on YouTube from 20 September 2021.
Around the 25:06 minute mark in the video, interviewer Anupama Chopra remarked, "Nobody works in Bollywood like you. You just show up."
Dosanjh then says, "Na kare ji," and goes on to repeat the statement in the viral clip.
Filmfare reported on this part of Dosanjh's interview with Chopra. It added more about the Punjabi artist's feelings about the Hindi film industry and the singer's primal need for artistic freedom and independence over the lure of Bollywood stardom.
As per reports by the Indian Express and the Times of India from 25 June, Dosanjh gave an interview to the BBC Asian Network clarifying that the film was shot before the Pahalgam attack.
He added that the producers were now planning to release it overseas as they cannot release it in India anymore.
He expressed his support for the producers' decision, stating that the situation was fine when he signed the film, and he has a good working relationship with Hania Aamir.
What's the controversy?: The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) criticised Dosanjh for collaborating with Hania Amir, a Pakistani public figure and called for an absolute prohibition on all his upcoming endeavours.
The trailer with Amir has received severe backlash, due to her stance on India's Operation Sindoor.
This came after the Pahalgam terror attack caused tensions between India and Pakistan, Dosanjh has been promoting with the film with Neeru Bajwa (of Canadian origin).
The movie was scheduled for worldwide release on 27 June.
Conclusion: An old, unrelated video of Dosanjh has gone viral and linked to recent his controversy.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)