Diljit Dosanjh's 'Sardaar Ji 3' releases overseas only amid row over Pakistani actress Hania Aamir

Punjab First News · 27 June 2025, 11:30 AM

Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa at a promotional event — Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa promoting the film 'Shadaa' in 2019 (file photo) (Bollywood Hungama / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

Diljit Dosanjh's Punjabi film 'Sardaar Ji 3' released on Friday, June 27, but only overseas. Because Pakistani actress Hania Aamir is in the cast, the film was not released in India.

India-Pakistan tensions rose after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, and the social media accounts of Pakistani artists were blocked in India. When the trailer came out on June 17, Hania's presence in the film set off a strong backlash online.

The film workers' body FWICE called for a ban on Diljit's future projects. The producers said in a statement that the film was shot well before the current situation and that Hania had been signed before the Pahalgam attack.

Speaking to the BBC Asian Network, Diljit said everything was fine when the film was shot in February, but that a lot of big things happened afterwards that were beyond their control.

The makers said they stand with the country at this sensitive time, which is why the film is not being released in India. As a result, it reached only Punjabi audiences abroad.