3 min readChandigarhUpdated: May 14, 2026 05:25 AM IST
Leading Punjabi singer and Bollywood actor Diljit Dosanjh, who has turned down an appeal to enter politics in Punjab, is not an Indian citizen. Not for a while now.
Dosanjh, whose signature, pride-filled declaration Main Hoon Punjab (I am Punjab) serves as a powerful affirmation of his cultural identity and roots, acquired US citizenship in 2022, The Indian Express has learnt.
He has been travelling on a US passport since September 1, 2022. His last Indian passport was issued in Mumbai in 2018. Prior to that, his Indian passport was issued in Zambia.
Dosanjh’s spouse Sandeep Kaur too is a US national. At the time of acquiring US citizenship, he had shown his residential address — a 5-bedroom, 3107 sqm bungalow — in an upscale locality of California.
He used his US passport to travel to India last month. Sources said he has been travelling to India on an e-visa since September 2022 — this means he does not hold an OCI card.
Last Saturday, a think tank of retired IAS officers, Defence personnel and professionals in Punjab issued a full-page advertisement in a leading newspaper, urging Dosanjh to take over the political leadership of Punjab “brought to its knees by successive dispensations”.
Dosanjh, however, declined the offer. In a post on X, he said, Kadey v Nahi (never). Mera kaam entertainment karna (My job is to entertain people). Am very happy in my field. Thank you so much.”
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Even if he were to change his mind, Dosanjh cannot just jump into Indian politics. Under Section 6 of the Indian Citizenship Act, a foreign national can apply to seek Indian citizenship if he or she satisfies conditions, one of which stipulates that the applicant must have lived in India for 12 years in total before the application, including continuous residence during the immediately preceding 12 months and residence for 11 of the previous 14 years.
Multiple attempts by The Indian Express to contact Dosanjh for comment did not elicit a response. Phone calls and queries sent to his secretary Sonali Singh, Janamjai Sehgal (local contact on his Indian visa application) remained unanswered.
Last week, Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a leader of the Sikhs for Justice banned by India, threatened Dosanjh for rebuking flag-waving Khalistan sympathisers at his concerts in the Canadian cities of Vancouver and Calgary.
Born on January 6, 1984 to Balbir Singh and Sukhwinder Kaur in Jalandhar’s Dosanjh Kalan village, Dosanjh’s first prominent musical album Ishq Da Uda Ada was released in 2004. He made his debut in Punjabi cinema in The Lion of Punjab (2011) and became very popular after Jihne Mera Dil Luteya. His role in Udta Punjab (2016) got him a Filmfare award in the Best Male Debut category.
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In 2020, Dosanjh became the first Indian artist to enter the Billboard Social 50 chart. Last month, he appeared for a second time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and discussed Sikh history and Punjabi pride.
