Bollywood star Ajay Devgn is the latest Bollywood celebrity to wade into the controversy around Diljit Dosanjh's Punjabi film Sardaar Ji 3 which has been at the centre of the proverbial storm ever since Pakistani star Hania Aamir's casting in the movie came to light.
On Friday, at the trailer launch press meet of his new film Son of Sardaar 2, Ajay Devgn was asked about his viewpoint on the row that doesn't seem to be ending soon.
Sardaar Ji 3 courted a huge controversy last month after Diljit Dosanjh shared the trailer of Sardaar Ji 3, which made its debut in overseas territories on June 27 and skipped release in India.
"I don't know where the trolling comes from (or) what is right and what is wrong. I'm not in his shoes to comment on that. He would've had his problems, and people are thinking from their point of view.
"So, when you've two different points of view, then you can sit and solve it together. I'll not blame anybody or say that, this is right or wrong; they need a conversation," Ajay Devgn told reporters at the trailer launch press conference of Son of Sardaar 2.
Many social media users have called for a ban on Diljit Dosanjh, while politicians and trade unions like the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) and the Federation of Western lndia Cine Employees (FWICE) have criticised the Punjabi actor-musician for collaborating with Hania Aamir in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
At the event, Ajay Devgn was also asked about the ongoing language row in Maharashtra. The controversy started after the Maharashtra government made it compulsory for state-run primary schools to teach Hindi as a third language, apart from English and Marathi.
"The only answer I'll give you about the language thing which is going on is Aata Maajhi Satakli," the actor said, referring to the popular dialogue from his hit Singham franchise.
Ajay Devgn, who was last seen in Raid 2, said he is thrilled about returning to the comedy genre after six years with Son of Sardaar 2.
"I didn't realise I'm doing comedy after six years, but it was a lot of fun doing this film. The script was very funny. When we decided to do Son of Sardaar 2, the important thing was that the humour quotient had to be more than the first part, and we are glad we cracked that kind of a script," he added.
Son of Sardaar was helmed by Ashwni Dhir and starred Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt and Sonakshi Sinha as well as Mukul Dev, who died in May this year at the age of 54.
The first part of the franchise revolved around Jaswinder "Jassi" Singh Randhawa (Ajay Devgn), who returns to his village in Punjab after spending years in London to sell ancestral property. But things take an unexpected turn.
In the trailer of the upcoming sequel, Ajay Devgn's character is seen mimicking Sunny Deol's character from the 1997 war drama Border in one of the sequences.
Talking about Sunny Deol, the Bollywood star said, "He is my neighbour. When we were young, Bobby and I were growing up together, and Sunny paaji was someone whom we respected and looked up to. We still talk about the punches he throws on screen; nobody can beat him," he said.
Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, Son of Sardaar 2 also stars Ravi Kishan, Sanjay Mishra, Mrunal Thakur, Chunky Panday, Vindu Dara Singh, Deepak Dobriyal, Ashwini Kalsekar, Kubbra Sait, Roshni Walia, and Sharat Saxena.
Produced by Ajay Devgn alongside Jyoti Deshpande, N R Pachisia and Pravin Talreja, the movie is set to be released on July 25.
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