Popular singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh found himself embroiled in controversy after the trailer of his film Sardaar Ji 3, featuring Pakistani actor Hania Aamir, was released—despite ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. The casting of Hania Aamir sparked immediate backlash, with many calling for a boycott and criticizing the inclusion of a Pakistani artist during such strained diplomatic relations.
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) sent a letter to filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, urging him to cut ties with Diljit Dosanjh. While several celebrities criticised Diljit, a few came out in his support.
Speaking to NDTV, veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar backed Diljit, referring to him as a "bechara" (poor guy), and said the government should view the situation with a little sympathy.
When asked about the backlash, Akhtar responded, "Ab kya karein bechara. The movie was shot earlier. Usko pata toh nahi tha ki aisa hoga. Iss mein Pakistani aadmi ka paisa toh nahi doobega, Hindustani ka paisa doobega. Toh phir kya faayda?"
(What can the poor guy do now? The movie was shot earlier. He didn't know something like this would happen. It's not Pakistani money that will be lost—it's Indian money. So what's the point?)
Netizens slammed Javed Akhtar for supporting Diljit.
.@diljitdosanjh is not just a celebrated artist—he's a national asset and a global ambassador of Indian culture. FWICE’s call to revoke his Indian citizenship over an inadvertent and pre-incident film shoot is not only unfair but shockingly disproportionate.
— RP Singh National Spokesperson BJP (@rpsinghkhalsa) June 27, 2025
The film featuring a…
The controversy intensified after FWICE demanded strict action against Dosanjh, including revoking his Indian citizenship. Their appeal came after producers of Sardaar Ji 3 announced that the film would not be released in India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
However, since the film had been shot well before the incident, it was released overseas on June 27.
The political climate has been especially volatile following the Pahalgam attack, which prompted India's Operation Sindoor, a series of strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). In the aftermath, several Pakistani celebrities, including Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and Hania Aamir, faced bans on their social media accounts within India.
