NEW DELHI – Diljit Dosanjh has long enjoyed chart success and praise for his performances. Now, he’s chasing another big achievement: leading the highest-earning Punjabi film. His latest movie, “Sardaar Ji 3”, blends horror and comedy and has quickly broken records in international markets.
Yet in India, audiences can’t watch Sardaar Ji 3 since it never hit cinemas and remains unavailable to over a billion people.
The release has been tangled in controversy due to the nationality of co-star Hania Aamir, who is a well-known actor from Pakistan.
Last year, Dosanjh filled arenas across the US, Canada, and Europe with his Dil-Luminati world tour. He made history as the first Indian to perform at Coachella in California and grabbed headlines for attending the Met Gala wearing a traditional turban. In Bollywood, Dosanjh has become a popular name both with fans and critics.
Despite his global success, controversy has followed Diljit Dosanjh at home. Some groups have called for his boycott and demanded that his passport be seized. Film observers and political commentators point to a wider trend of censorship in India, with growing efforts to limit creative expression, often in line with nationalist views.
Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa
The third chapter of the “Sardaar Ji” franchise, directed by Amar Hundal, stars Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa, along with Hania Aamir. After filming wrapped up in April, tragedy struck in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
Indian officials blamed Pakistan, sparking a brief but fierce conflict between the two countries. The appearance of Aamir in the film’s trailer took many by surprise, and soon anger followed.
India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not approved Sardaar Ji 3, preventing its cinema release. The government also blocked access to the film’s trailer online for Indian users, although teasers and the soundtrack, which leave out Aamir, can still be found.
Following the April violence, India quickly expanded its internet controls. Authorities cut off thousands of Pakistani social media accounts, targeting public figures like Hania Aamir, Fawad Khan, and Mahira Khan. Even Pakistani journalists and news outlets could no longer reach their Indian viewers.
An advisory issued on 8 May told streaming platforms and media intermediaries to remove any Pakistani-origin entertainment, from songs to web series. The government also banned 16 major Pakistani YouTube channels with tens of millions of subscribers, citing allegations of misinformation and content deemed hostile towards India.
Negative Feelings Stirred Up
Rahul Desai, a prominent film and TV reviewer in Mumbai, sees these moves as another way to stir up negative feelings towards Pakistan. He notes that filmmakers in India often choose self-censorship to avoid controversy, especially when it comes to casting across the border.
Cross-border projects used to be more common, especially with music contributions from Pakistani creators to Indian films in the 2000s. Coke Studio Pakistan, which ran for 15 seasons, was popular in India and felt like a cultural moment.
However, ongoing political disputes have made such collaborations difficult, with projects regularly facing online attacks and official bans.
Punjabi cinema, in particular, faces added pressure. The old borders drawn during the 1947 partition split Punjab in two, but many families on both sides still share language and cultural roots.
This makes partnerships in Punjabi film and music more meaningful but also complicated under the current climate. Popular series like Chal Mera Putt, featuring Pakistani actors, are now under scrutiny with demands to leave out Pakistani talent.
Indian film groups have spoken out against the choice to cast Hania Aamir. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), led by BN Tiwari, called working with Pakistani actors a betrayal and pressed for a full ban on Sardaar Ji 3.
They also asked India’s film board to block the movie’s certification and discouraged any work with Pakistani artists. The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) criticized the producers for picking a Pakistani star and urged a boycott of Dosanjh by both music firms and event organizers.
Sardaar Ji 3 a Global Success
Ashoke Pandit of the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association called for industry-wide action against Dosanjh, labelling him as someone with ongoing support for Pakistan.
However, Ira Bhaskar, a former CBFC member and retired professor, believes the situation reflects government attempts to control public storytelling, rather than real division between people in India and Pakistan.
In an interview with BBC Asian Network, Dosanjh explained that when they shot the film in February, things were calm.
The events leading to the growing conflict happened after production finished, which left the producers with little option but to release the film outside India. Dosanjh pointed out the significant investment made, but said the political climate changed suddenly and beyond anyone’s control.
According to iBomma Telugu Movies, the film’s global performance has been strong. Sardaar Ji 3 has taken around $7 million worldwide against a $4 million budget, with about $1.4 million earned in Pakistan, making it the top-earning Indian film released there.
The previous instalment, Sardaar Ji 2, made nearly $3 million at the Indian box office, so missing the Indian market is a major financial blow.
Diljit Dosanjh has kept up his support for the film by posting about record viewings, including sold-out screenings in Pakistan. Film reviewers like Desai have pointed out that in India, restrictions on film often go further than just casting. Stories themselves can be targeted for government control.
India’s film industry
This isn’t the only project of Diljit Dosanjh’s to hit obstacles. His movie Panjab ’95, directed by Honey Trehan and based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has seen delays due to repeated CBFC demands for edits.
Authorities suggested more than a hundred changes, including removing references to real politicians, documented abuses, and even the main character’s name. Trehan claims the certification board, which was meant to protect artistic freedom, is now used by officials to pressure filmmakers.
Desai, who watched a private screening of Panjab ’95, described it as a powerful film that could spark strong feelings among viewers, especially those unhappy with the government. Dosanjh and Trehan have refused to accept the changes, leaving the film stuck without a release date.
It was even pulled from the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, missing out on further global exposure.
For fans wanting more regional cinema, ibomma telugu movies continue to offer a range of options, showing how audiences turn to digital platforms to access films that may not reach the big screen in India.
This ongoing situation highlights how politics and art are often closely linked in India’s film industry, shaping what people can watch at home.
