The peg with a million views
Jasmine Singh
In Punjabi songs— how do we deal with heart break? The answer is La ke 3 peg baliye. How do we relive old hostel days, simple, Mainu Ek din de lai, hostel wala karma de do ji main ral yaaran naal othey daaru peeni hai. And last, certainly not the least, in Punjabi songs what is the reason that a girlfriend doesn’t like to sit with her boyfriend? You bet, jattan de na needey lagdi kehndi peg di waashna andi.
Believe it or not
The writing on the wall is very clear, whether you agree to it or not, Peg or daaru (hard drinks, liquor) is the one-stop solution to many answers, which makes it a popular subject with many Punjabi singers. Even though it has always been a popular topic with Punjabi singers, the new generation is just keeping the ‘daaru songs’ legacy alive. And this happens at a time when 22 lakh people in Punjab are dependent on alcohol!
Alarming, but true
Despite such alarming figures, every single song played at weddings or functions has references of peg, daaru. No wonder, Punjabi singer Sharry Mann’s song was the biggest hit of 2017 with 205 million views and counting! If figures are any indication of what inspiration the Punjabi music industry is setting for the youngsters; well, out of 20 songs released every month, 7 are on daaru. Is this a topic that finds better connect with the youth of Punjab and elsewhere? Does the word daaru have an intoxicating affect on youngsters, making it directly proportional to an instant hit and more money!
Don’t like them? Ignore them
Punjabi singer Nishawn Bhullar wouldn’t call it a popular trend, neither does he agree to the fact that the Punjabi music industry is promoting any kind of wrong trend. “Artistes find inspiration from the real world. Do you think singers sing about daaru, a commodity which isn’t available in Punjab? Do you think boys don’t drink together in a hostel room? And don’t you think about half of the jilted lovers use alcohol to nurse broken hearts? If you don’t like them, don’t listen.” The last viewpoint does make some sense— if you don’t like them, don’t listen.
Reality Vs role models
But then what about celebrities playing role models? And if they are not promoting alcohol, why don’t they sing on other social issues.
Punjabi singer Sharry Mann has always come under fire for promoting songs on daaru, but then he walks away with 230 million views, what does this indicate? Popular music producer DJ Flow has a basic question to ask, “If we don’t sing about daaru, do you think people will stop buying it? We are not telling them to buy a particular brand, we are singing what even old seasoned singers used to sing.”
The artistes in the Punjabi music industry do not take the onus of promoting a wrong culture; according to them they are depicting the state of society. Nevertheless, the debate goes on…
jasmine@tribunemail.com
