Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh is set to be the focus of a new university course in Canada, even as he faces backlash in India for casting a Pakistani actress in his upcoming film Sardaar Ji 3.
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) announced that its Creative School will launch a course in late 2026 dedicated to studying Dosanjh’s global impact on music, culture, and identity. This marks the first time a Canadian university will offer a course centered around a Punjabi artist.
The course was announced at the Billboard Summit during the NXNE festival in Toronto. Dr. Charlie Wall-Andrews, Assistant Professor at TMU, said the program would explore Diljit’s role in bringing Punjabi music to the global stage and uniting South Asian communities worldwide.
Diljit’s manager, Sonali Singh, welcomed the recognition, calling it “long overdue” and praising his influence on global representation for Punjabi and South Asian communities. Mo Ghoneim, President of Billboard UK and Canada, called Diljit “the perfect fit” for the course.
Dosanjh has recently seen major international success—he performed at Coachella in 2023, debuted at the Met Gala in 2025, and broke records with his Dil-Luminati Tour, the largest Punjabi concert held outside India.
However, his new film Sardaar Ji 3, which stars Pakistani actress Hania Aamir and is set for an overseas-only release on June 27, has sparked a political and public backlash in India. The film also features Pakistani actors Nasir Chinyoti and Daniel Khawar. This move has drawn sharp criticism amid rising India-Pakistan tensions following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor on May 7.
The trailer of the film has been geo-blocked in India. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) and the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) have both condemned the film and called for a boycott of Dosanjh and the filmmakers. FWICE has also asked the censor board not to approve the film.
Social media users have accused Dosanjh of being “unpatriotic,” with some calling him a “Khalistani.” Many are angry that he is working with a Pakistani actress so soon after a deadly terror attack. However, producer Gunbir Singh Sidhu defended the film, saying it was shot before the recent conflict and would not be released in India out of respect.
This is not the first time Dosanjh has faced criticism. His Coachella performance in 2023 sparked controversy when he gestured toward an Indian flag in the crowd, which some misunderstood. He later clarified that his gesture was meant to promote peace. He also faced backlash for writing “Panjab” instead of “Punjab” on social media, a spelling linked historically to the Persian term for “land of five rivers.”
Despite the controversies, Diljit Dosanjh continues to be a cultural icon, now being recognized not only in entertainment but also in academia.
Be the first to comment