As Diljit Dosanjh unveiled the trailer of Sardaar Ji 3 on Sunday, the Internet went berserk when they saw Pakistani actress Hania Aamir is part of the Punjabi film. The movie will only have an international release now. Film bodies in India have called for a ban on the film in the country in light of the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025.
Diljit Dosanjh has now responded to the online criticism he and the makers of Sardaar Ji 3 have been facing since Hania Aamir's casting was revealed in the trailer of the film. In a conversation with BBC Asian Network, Diljit Dosanjh -- who also serves as a producer on the movie -- shared his side of the story.
According to the singer-actor, Sardaar Ji 3 was shot in February when the situation between the two countries was stable. Diljit Dosanjh said it was clear to the makers that the film won't release in India following the Pahalgam attack.
What's Happening
- Diljit Dosanjh has responded to the severe flak he has been receiving online and elsewhere since the trailer of Sardaar Ji 3 was released on Sunday.
- The Internet has reacted strongly to Diljit Dosanjh's collaboration with Pakistani star Hania Aamir, especially after the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year.
- Responding to the criticism, Diljit Dosanjh told BBC Asian Network, "Jab yeh film bani thi tab situation sab theek tha. We shot this in February and then everything was fine. Uske baad, bohut saari, badi cheezein humare haath mein nahin hain. Toh producers ne decide kiya ki film obviously ab India mein toh nahin lagegi, toh overseas release karte hain. Toh producers ka bohut paisa laga hua hai aur jab yeh film bann rahi thi tab aisa kuch tha nahin. (When this film was made, everything was fine. We shot it in February and things were okay back then. After that, a lot of big things happened that were beyond our control. So the producers decided that the film obviously won't be released in India now, so they'll release it overseas. The producers have invested a lot of money, and when the film was being made, nothing like this was happening)."
- He added, "They know there will be a loss because you're removing an entire territory. Even when I signed the film, everything was fine. Now the situation is not in our hands. So if the producers want to release it abroad, I support them."
- He also spoke about his experience of working with Hania Aamir, "Very good. She's very professional. I really respect her work and her privacy. I'm also a very private person myself and I give everyone their space, especially women. To the point hi baat hoti hai zyaada kuch nahin (Conversations are to the point, nothing more)."
What We Know So Far
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) urged the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to deny certification to the film as the movie's cast members also included Pakistani actors Hania Aamir, Nasir Chinyoti, Daniel Khawar and Saleem Albela.
As a result, the makers decided to skip the film's theatrical release in India. Sardaar Ji 3 will now only be released overseas on Friday.
In A Nutshell
Diljit Dosanjh has finally reacted to the Internet's fury upon seeing Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in the trailer of his upcoming film Sardaar Ji 3. The Pahalgam terror attack and India's subsequent retaliatory strikes under Operation Sindoor further raised tensions between India and Pakistan, prompting film bodies in India to reiterate the ban on Pakistani artists working in Indian productions.
In his response, Diljit Dosanjh said the situation was different when they shot the film and how he supported the producers's call to release the film overseas.