An actor is much more than his ethnicity and his religion, says Sikh singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh, who has found popularity in Indian showbiz with his versatile roles in films like “Udta Punjab”, “Phillauri” and “Soorma”, as well as with his songs.

“An actor is more than his ethnicity and his religion. A filmmaker, a director has to be convinced and should be able to envision someone in a role, regardless of Sikh or not Sikh, if the filmmaker feels you suit the role, then that’s perfect,” Diljit told IANS over e-mail.

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However, the 34-year-old feels honoured to represent the Sikh community in mainstream Hindi cinema.

He said: “Actually a lot of people have told me that I shouldn’t be an actor. People told me to get rid of my turban or not become an actor. Back then, I knew that I would be okay to give up films, but not my turban.”

Before venturing into Bollywood, Diljit used to think that “sardar actors can’t be successful in Hindi cinema”. But now looking at his fame and stardom, it would be wrong to say that he is not successful.

Diljit made his acting debut in 2011 with “The Lion of Punjab” and stepped into Bollywood in 2016 with “Udta Punjab”. He has been recognised for his acting, but it was his singing which made him popular first.

“Music will always be my life. It is who I started as and it will always be my first love. Acting happened by chance and I am glad it did. But my main profession is music. I am a musician first.”

He has sung several chartbusters like “Laembadgini”, “5 taara”, “This singh is so stylish” and “Do you know”. A few days ago, he launched his new track titled “Jind mahi”, which also features “October” actress Banita Sandhu.

Talking about the song, Diljit said: “We shot the song in London, a place which I absolutely love. I have performed there several times. We shot in an indoor location, but the experience of shooting it with an entire team was wonderful.”

What’s next on the cards?

“I just began shooting for ‘Good News’. ‘Arjun Patiala’ will come out next year with a Punjabi film ‘Shadaa’. My next album ‘Roar’ is also releasing this month,” Diljit added.