In regard to a Thunderous Vehicual Issue, Punjabi-‘ Superstar Diljit Dosanjh has finally given his thoughts on the hot-button topic of his latest film, Sardaarji 3! The horror-comedy, which co-stars Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, will NOT be getting an Indian release – and Diljit wishes to clarify.
“We shot this in February, when everything was fine”, he shared on BBC Asian Network. He noted that after the Pahalgam terror attack, tensions raised and then there was the ban on Pakistani actors. “Uske baad bohut saari badi cheezein humare haath mein nahi hai. So producers decided to just release overseas.”
According to Diljit, the team spent a lot of money and “if you don’t release it in India, if you take it out of India, you’re gonna lose, because you’re taking out an entire territory” – that’s how we were left with the heads-up on wanting to focus on international releases.
On the relationship with Hania Aamir, he stated: Very good. She’s very professional… to the point hi baat hoti hi, zyada kuch nahi.
Yet the public backlash has been fierce, with industry body FWICE making calls to boycott the film and convincing the CBFC to deny the movie entry into India claiming Diljit was disrespecting national sentiments.
Regardless of the controversy, Sardaarji 3 – also featuring Neeru Bajwa, Manav Vij, and Gulshan Grover – will be released internationally on June 27.
Diljit stipulates that he had no say in the geopolitical turbulence.
FWICE’s stance also demonstrates the increasing cultural-political scrutiny in cinema.
The overseas-only release is another indication of how distribution strategies can be reshaped for these challenging geo-political times.
Diljit Dosanjh is navigating providing for regional sensibilities whilst also making art. As fans pledge their allegiance for one side or the other and potential censorship enters the discourse, will this be another example of politics and art indistinct from one another? You will have to check out Sardaarji 3 to decide for yourself.
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