Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh, who turned heads with his traditional look at the recent Met Gala in New York, revealed that wearing his outfit brought him to tears. In a chat with BBC Asian Network, he recalled how the Met Gala organisers initially told him he couldn’t carry his kirpan, a ceremonial blade symbolic of the Sikh faith, as it was classified as a weapon.
Diljit Opens Up About His Kirpan
“They told me that you hand it over to someone, you can’t take it on the red carpet as this is a weapon, so I said okay,” he explained. Diljit Dosanjh posed backstage with it for a few pictures, but once he got into the car, he decided he wouldn’t give it up unless asked.
“I will give it if someone asks for it,” he said, admitting he felt bad since it was part of his cultural look.
Luckily for him, Shakira was ahead of him in line, and her metal-heavy dress helped him get through security without being stopped.
“Shakira was just ahead of me. Her dress had a lot of metal on it… I had a kirpan in my hand and I snuck in behind her. I had a cape on and the ‘kirpan’ was inside it. They checked her and didn’t check me,” he added.
Priyanka Chopra Offers Support at the Gala
Diljit also revealed he was alone at the event until he saw Priyanka Chopra, who warmly offered her support. “Priyanka came and told me, ‘Diljit, I am sitting right here, if you need anything, just shout my name and I will come to you’,” he shared. “So wherever you have your own people, they support you,” he said.
The star is currently facing controversy back home as his upcoming film Sardarji 3, co-starring Pakistani actor Hania Aamir, has drawn criticism. AICWA and FWICE have called for a ban on Diljit following the Pahalgam attack, renewing the demand for a ban on all Pakistani artists.
