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Shilpa Sajan recently took to Instagram to express her experiences and is a backup dancer for the European Tour of Diljit Dosanjh called the Dil-Luminati Tour. A few months ago, several dancers raised allegations against the singer’s management regarding unpaid fees from his North American tour. Now, Shilpa Sajan has decided to withdraw from the European leg of the Diljit Dosanjh tour for similar reasons.
Dil-Luminati tour of Diljit Dosanjh in trouble as backup dancer Shilpa Sajan quits
In her Instagram post, Shilpa Sajan shared a heartfelt message. She said, “I was thrilled about this opportunity, but the dance industry has revealed its true nature once again. It’s filled with unprofessionalism, inflated egos, and a complete lack of respect for dancers, with comments like ‘that’s just how Indians work.’ No celebrity is worth sacrificing your self-respect @diljitdosanjh.”
Shilpa recounted that upon being offered the backup dancer role for the Europe leg. She was aware of the allegations about non-payment during the North American tour but was promised a paid opportunity this time. Unfortunately, as the tour commenced, she realized that the meagre £80 payment wasn’t sustainable. Especially as she was expected to cover her own accommodation and travel expenses for international travel.
“I have never encountered such unprofessional and disrespectful management in my career. Everything was chaotic,” she wrote. Shilpa highlighted that messages often went unanswered, and dancers were dismissed at the last minute. There was a lack of focus on rehearsals, which hampered the final performances. She pointed out that this reflects broader issues in the dance industry, where dancers are often treated as mere objects.
Internet defends Shilpa Sajan
Support for Shilpa poured in from her followers on Instagram. One user commented, “Thank you for valuing yourself and your skills over these fleeting moments of fame! ” Another added, “Exploiting artists under the guise of exposure has gone on for too long. Especially from Diljit, who claims all his earnings go towards his shows—why aren’t people receiving their fair share?”
A third comment expressed encouragement, “Proud of you for standing up for yourself, as difficult as it may be.” Another conveyed frustration, “This is incredibly disappointing. I nearly joined the tour myself and know several dancers who faced similar issues—stories of late-night rehearsals and misleading information were far too common.” A user remarked, “After all the criticism they received earlier this year, you’d think they’d have improved things, but clearly, that’s not the case.”
Diljit Dosanjh is set to return to India for a sold-out segment of the Dil-Luminati Tour. It will kick off on October 26 in New Delhi and conclude on December 29 in Guwahati.
