Shilpa’s statement

Shilpa took to her Instagram handle and shared a long note with the caption, “An opportunity I was super excited about, but the dance industry has shown its true colours once again. Riddled with unprofessionalism, egos, total disrespect for dancers and being told ‘that’s just how Indians work’. No celebrity is worth giving up your self-respect @diljitdosanjh.”

She then detailed how when she was offered the role of a backup dancer in the Europe leg of the Dil-Luminati Tour, she already knew about the controversy of non-payment of dues by Diljit’s management in North America. However, she was assured that hers is a paid opportunity. However, as the tour began, she realised it wasn’t possible to sustain on the meagre 80 pound pay. She was also asked to cover the accommodation and travel for herself, even though it involved international travel as well.

“I have never worked with such an unprofessional and disrespectful management team in my life. Everything was a mess,” she wrote. Shilpa added that their messages were ignored, dancers were cut off the last minute, and there was no emphasis on rehearsals which affected the final performances. She then explained that this was symptomatic of the larger issues in the dance industry, in which dancers are treated merely as “objects.”

Internet supports Shilpa

Several Instagram users came out in Shilpa’s defense. One of them commented on her post, “Thank you for valuing yourself & your skill above these 5 mins of clout! (applause emoji).” Another wrote, “Exploiting artists in the name of exposure has been happening for far too long. And especially with Diljit, who mentions in all his interviews that all his earnings go in his shows—yet, why aren’t people getting their fair share?”

“Proud of you for standing up for yourself as hard as it may be,” read a third comment, while a fourth one stated, “This is incredibly frustrating and disappointing. I almost ended up doing the tour myself and know several girls who went through it—stories of 2am rehearsals, misinformation, and being messed around by management were all too common.” “After all the backlash earlier this year, you think they would’ve sorted themselves out, but evidently not,” said a person.

Diljit will soon come to India for a sold-out leg of the Dil-Luminati Tour, which will begin on October 26 in New Delhi and will wrap up on December 29 in Guwahati.