Diljit Dosanjh said 'I'm an artist, bro' and dropped a song about students protest

Diljit Dosanjh's new music video titled Devil uses protest imagery without naming any specific movement. The visuals and his 'I'm an Artist Bro' sign-off have led viewers to link it to the earlier CJP student protest.

In Short

• Devil opens with Diljit leading crowds carrying stark protest placards
• Clashes between demonstrators and police give the video a charged tone
• A girl offering a white rose becomes the video's standout image

Diljit Dosanjh had once made his position rather clear: when asked about the student protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), he didn't want to get into politics. "I am an artist. I am not a politician," he said, asking to be kept away from protests and such matters.

Fair enough. But artists, unlike politicians, don't always need to make a statement from a podium. Sometimes, they make one with a song. That is where Diljit's latest music video, Devil, gets interesting.

The singer has unveiled the video for the track, part of his 'I'm an Artist Bro' EP (Extended Play), and it is difficult to miss what it is trying to evoke. There are angry youth-led crowds, protest placards, a heavy police presence, clashes between demonstrators and the authorities and, finally, a little girl walking towards a policeman with a white rose.

Diljit never spells out which protest the video is about. There is no mention of the CJP, no reference to Jantar Mantar and no explicit explanation of the events being depicted. Yet, given what happened earlier this year, viewers have naturally begun connecting the dots.

The video begins with Diljit standing at the head of a massive gathering. The protesters hold up signs reading "Save Our Future" and "Our Future, Our Fight", giving the song an unmistakably protest-driven visual language.

The confrontation soon turns physical, with protesters and police seen clashing. Then comes the video's most striking moment: a little girl walks towards the police holding a white rose. She stops in front of Diljit, before a police officer approaches her and embraces her.

There is another detail in the protest sequence that is hard to overlook: the presence of members of the Sikh community among the demonstrators. During the Jantar Mantar student protest earlier this year, members of the Sikh community had rallied behind the students, helping provide them with meals, shelter and medical supplies. Devil appears to echo that visual and, perhaps, that solidarity too.

It is followed by a rather cheeky disclaimer: "Don't try this at home", before the screen flashes the words: "I'm an Artist Bro."

When Diljit said "I'm an artist, bro" during the CJP protest controversy, the line was interpreted by many as an attempt to distance himself from a politically charged issue. He was subsequently criticised on social media, particularly by those who felt that his stature as a public figure came with a responsibility to speak up.

But now, the same artist has made a music video that appears to be engaging with the language and imagery of protest, without actually telling the audience what, or whom, it is about. The internet has noticed, of course.

"Peak detailing video!!!!!! Student protest, Our Future our rights," one fan wrote in the comments. Another said, "iykyk this video is about which protest only Diljit can do this."

Others simply celebrated the song and its visual treatment. "A banger song, video concept , a deep message," read one comment, while another called him the "Biggest panjabi artist on the planet FOR A REASON."

Whether Devil is specifically about the CJP-led student protest is something only Diljit can confirm. But the timing, the imagery and that very familiar "I'm an Artist Bro" sign-off have made the interpretation almost impossible to avoid.

Watch the full music video here:

There is also an interesting irony here. Diljit may not want to be a politician, and he certainly doesn't have to be one. But being an artist gives him another way of responding to the world around him. He can choose not to answer a question on an Instagram Live, and then answer it, perhaps, through a music video.

Earlier this year, Diljit had initially declined to comment when a fan asked him about the CJP protest during an Instagram Live session. At the time, he said he was unaware of the situation because he was busy with his Aura Tour and reiterated that he wanted to stay away from protests and politics.

His response drew criticism. But days later, he did speak about the students, writing that what had happened was wrong and that students should not have been treated in that manner, referring to the police action against students during the Jantar Mantar protest. He urged authorities to listen to their demands and wrote, "The voice of the people is the voice of God."

He also spoke about the backlash he had faced after the farmers' protest, saying he had previously been labelled "anti-national" and had faced legal trouble.

Now, with Devil, Diljit appears to have found a way to do what artists often do best - leave the interpretation to the audience.

The song itself features music by Intense and lyrics by Hizzy, and is one of seven tracks on I'm an Artist Bro. The EP also includes Fizawan, Love Like This, Gustakhi, Waliyan, Sweet Ting and Lambo.

So yes, Diljit is an artist, bro. And perhaps this time, the artist has spoken, without saying a word.

- Ends