‘Sardaar Ji 3’ Breaks Records Abroad, Faces Roadblock at Home

Cinema vs Nationalism: The ‘Sardaar Ji 3’ Controversy

In an unexpected turn of events, ‘Sardaar Ji 3’, a Punjabi horror-comedy featuring Indian superstar Diljit Dosanjh, Neeru Bajwa, and Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, has shattered global box-office records—while being pulled from domestic release in India due to heightened geopolitical sensitivities.

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The film grossed over $1.1 million (Rs 9.43 crore) in North America during its opening weekend, making it one of the most successful Punjabi films internationally. In the UK, it quickly became the highest-grossing Punjabi film of the year, earning £450,000 (Rs 5.29 crore) within five days. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, where the movie saw sold-out shows in Lahore and Karachi, it earned an estimated $500,000 (Rs 4.28 crore) on its first day, breaking the previous record held by Salman Khan’s Sultan for an Indian film opening.

Yet, despite its global success, Sardaar Ji 3 remains unreleased in India. The producers made the strategic decision to pull the film amid the fallout from the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor. In the current hyper-nationalist climate, the film’s casting of a Pakistani actress—even though it was shot before the attack—sparked sharp backlash on social media and within sections of the film industry.

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued warnings to major industry players like T-Series and filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, urging them to sever ties with Dosanjh. The organization even threatened a “non-cooperation” campaign, vowing that technicians and crew would boycott Diljit’s film sets. FWICE advisor Ashoke Pandit condemned the actor for allegedly “ignoring” Hania Aamir’s since-deleted Instagram post critical of Indian airstrikes, calling Diljit “arrogant.”

Punjabi singers, too, chimed in. Mika Singh branded Dosanjh a “fake singer,” while B Praak posted cryptic messages alluding to artists who “sell their conscience.”