Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh opened up about the ongoing controversy surrounding his upcoming film, 'Sardaar Ji 3' over the casting of Pakistani actor Hania Aamir. In a recent interview with BBC Asian Network The actor disclosed that the filming took place in February, well ahead of the brutal Pahalgam attack and the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.
He likewise voiced his backing for the producers for distributing the movie internationally During the interview, he went on to say that many events transpired outside of their influence, and currently, the circumstances are out of their grasp.
Speaking out about the dispute for the first time, he stated, " When this movie was made, everything was fine back then. We filmed this in February, and at that time, everything was fine. ("When the movie was being made, everything was alright.")
" Afterwards, many big things were not within our reach. So, the producers decided that the film clearly wouldn’t appeal in India, so they opted for an overseas release. Thus, the producers have invested a lot of money, and during the making of this movie, such circumstances did not prevail earlier. .(Following that, many events transpired that were outside our control. The producer opted against releasing the film in India, choosing instead to distribute it internationally. Given their significant investment, and considering that none of these issues arose during production,)" he clarified.
He voiced his backing for the makers of 'Sardaar Ji 3,' stating, "I understand they realize there will be financial setbacks since an entire region is being excluded. When I agreed to do the movie initially, all conditions were satisfactory. However, now things are beyond our control. Therefore, if the producers decide to distribute it internationally, I am behind their decision."
Following the Pahalgam attack on April 22, which resulted in 26 fatalities, film organizations decided against working with artists from Pakistan. Then, on June 23, Diljit unveiled the trailer for 'Sardaar Ji 3,' which included Pakistani actor Hani Ramaan along with several others. This move sparked significant criticism.
The Cinema Workers Association of Western India (FWICE) demanded a prohibition on Diljit Dosanjh The organization additionally urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revoke their passports and annul their citizenship due to what they deemed as an "unpatriotic" action.