- Diljit Dosanjh's Sardaar Ji 3, also featuring Pakistani star Hania Aamir, releases overseas on Friday
- The film's India release was skipped fearing backlash following recent terror attack in Pahalgam
- Indian film bodies imposed bans on Diljit Dosanjh and called for revoking his citizenship.
It has been five days since Diljit Dosanjh confirmed what was sort of an open secret when he posted the trailer of his new Punjabi film Sardaar Ji 3 on his Instagram page. That Pakistani star Hania Aamir was very much a part of the film on which he also has a co-producer credit. As expected, it opened a can of worms.
On June 22, the Punjabi singer-actor shared the Sardaar Ji 3 trailer on Instagram along with the film's release date and opening only in select theatres globally. In the caption, he wrote, "Sardaar Ji 3 Releasing 27th June OVERSEAS Only/ FADH LAO BHOOND DIAN LATTAN."
What left social media warriors fuming more was that the Punjabi-language film from India featuring a popular Pakistani actor in a prominent role was up for a release barely months after the dastardly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama and India's retaliatory missile strikes in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.
How It All Began
Diljit Dosanjh too posted the trailer on social media on June 22, exactly two months after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025.
But, the maahaul is not conducive for aman ki asha. It hasn't been since the 2016 Uri attack; the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil starring Pakistani star Fawad Khan in a key role was briefly stalled following the incident. There has been a ban on Pakistani artistes working in India since the 2016 Uri attack. The boycott calls were further strengthened after the 2019 Pulwama attack and recently, after the Pahalgam attack this April.
That the film skipping an India theatrical release would solve the problem at hand was an epic misjudgement on part of producers Gunbir Singh Sidhu, Manmord Sidhu, and Diljit Dosanjh. This announcement also added fuel to the fire, making the Sardaar Ji 3 team look nonchalant about the controversy brewing in the country.
That Hania Aamir was one of the Pakistani artistes whose social media accounts were withheld in India after she posted alleged anti-India remarks following Operation Sindoor didn't help either.
Sardaar Ji 3, directed by Amar Hundal, is the third part in the Sardaar Ji horror comedy franchise. Off screen, the horror is real sans any element of comedy.
And, so it began.
The trailer of Sardaar Ji 3 is unavailable on YouTube India. "The uploader has not made this video available in your country," reads the message.
Backlash From Indian Film Bodies
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), film industry worker's union, urged the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to deny certification to Sardaar Ji 3 as the movie's cast members included Pakistani actors Hania Aamir, Nasir Chinyoti, Daniel Khawar and Saleem Albela. The film body announced an industry-wide ban on Diljit, appealed to the Indian government to revoke the actor and Sardaar Ji 3 makers' passports and rescind their Indian citizenship.
BN Tiwari, President of the FWICE, told NDTV, "There will be complete non co-operation. If the film releases anywhere, we will issue a directive of non co-operation. We will ensure that Diljit Dosanjh doesn't get work (films or concerts) in any part of India. If he doesn't withdraw the release of the film, he won't get work in India."
The All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) quickly followed suit and also imposed a ban on Diljit Dosanjh.
The FWICE also wrote to the makers of Border 2 to express their disappointment over Diljit Dosanjh's casting in the film. It later asked Imtiaz Ali and Sunny Deol, his Border 2, co-star to sever ties with him.
Diljit Dosanjh-Hania Aamir's Connection
The Diljit Dosanjh and Hania Aamir pairing in Sardaar Ji 3 didn't really come as a surprise.
In October 2024, Hania Aamir attended Diljit Dosanjh's London concert as part of his Dil-Luminati Tour. At the time, videos of Diljit Dosanjh inviting Hania Aamir to the stage and singing his popular song Lover for her trended on social media for days.
Later, on Instagram, Hania Aamir shared a series of pictures from the show and penned a heartfelt note for Diljit Dosanjh on Instagram. "Hona ni mai recover what a night," she began her post, referring to Lover.
"It was magic. The love, the respect, the soul. Impeccable. It was all heart. @diljitdosanjh sir ek he dil hai kitni dafa jeeto ge. Pyar aur sirf pyar. The entire team is just. An honour to have come across so many beautiful souls. Truly memorable."
Come March and April, Diljit Dosanjh shared posts on Instagram from his UK visit, where he was shooting for Sardaar Ji 3. Hania Aamir too was posting pictures and videos from her UK trip around the same time. So, it was not difficult to put two and two together when the trailer was dropped on Sunday.
Soon after the Pahalgam attack, it was being reported that Hania Aamir was set to be replaced in Sardaar Ji 3. But there was no communication from the makers about her casting to begin with, let alone the rumours of her removal.
As the noise grew, there was also a little moment of celebration; for Diljit Dosanjh, of course. A university in Canada announced a course dedicated to the Punjabi singer-songwriter, exploring his global impact on pop culture. It will be launched at the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in late 2026.
And, The Chatter Continued To Grow
The vitriol, backlash, and calls for ban and boycott haven't stopped since.
Days into the row, Diljit Dosanjh broke his silence and defended the film and its makers.
"Everything was fine when this film was made. 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 told BBC Asian Network.
According to reports, Sardaar Ji 3 is mounted on a budget of Rs 15 crore.
In the same interview, he praised Hania Aamir and called her a thorough "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. Conversations were to the point, nothing more," said Diljit.
Soon, the makers of Sardaar Ji 3 also sprung into action and issued a statement, saying that the "Pakistani artist was not signed after the Pahalgam attack" and that they were not "releasing the film or any of its promotional content in India until the situation becomes opportune".
Sardaar Ji 3 producer Gunbir Singh Sidhu told NDTV on Thursday that the film will lose about 40% of its business by skipping India release. He also stated that they have decided "not to work with any Pakistani artist from now on".
Who Supported Diljit Dosanjh, Who Didn't
Diljit Dosanjh, who has very quickly made a name for himself internationally in the last five years, has received both support and criticism for co-starring with Hania Aamir in the Punjabi horror comedy.
His former manager Sonali Singh rallied behind him and Punjabi singer Jasbir Jassi backed him questioning people's double standards, whereas singer Mika Singh repeatedly asked Diljit Dosanjh to apologise for causing a controversy by working with a Pakistani artiste. Singer Guru Randhawa shared a cryptic post on X alluding to the Sardaar Ji 3 row, calling it a PR stunt, and questioning Diljit's nationality.
A day before its international release, it was reported that the film was being released in Pakistani theatres.
It won't be an understatement to call the Sardaar Ji controversy Abir Gulaal 2.0. Abir Gulaal, starring Pakistani star Fawad Khan opposite Indian actor Vaani Kapoor, was slated for a May release in India but the film was stuck in limbo after the Pahalgam attack. It remains that way till date.
While Sardaar Ji 3 is not releasing in India, it has generated a lot of noise on social media and elsewhere. The film has, after all, gone global, much like its lead star Diljit Dosanjh.
