Diljit Dosanjh’s Sardaar Ji 3 Scandal: What Really Went Down Behind the Curtain
From record-breaking premieres in Pakistan to being ghosted in India — why everyone’s whispering about Diljit’s latest film
Let’s set the scene: It’s Friday night in Lahore. Theatres are packed. Fans are throwing up heart hands. Sardaar Ji 3 is playing to sold-out crowds. But in Mumbai? Crickets. No red carpet. No paparazzi flashbulbs. Just a PR blackout and a lot of awkward silences.
Diljit Dosanjh, darling of both the diaspora and Dior, is caught in the middle of a controversy messier than a spilled butter chicken. His latest film, Sardaar Ji 3, dropped worldwide on June 27 — except in India. And that absence isn’t just awkward. It’s a statement.
Now, if you’ve ever met Diljit (or at least bumped elbows with him at a Karan Johar brunch), you know he’s not exactly the “controversy court” type. He’s cheeky, yes. But careful. So when co-star Hania Aamir — the Pakistani IT girl with a skincare routine that rivals Hailey Bieber’s — made comments about Operation Sindoor, things escalated quickly. The mood shifted from “cross-border collab” to full-on fallout.
India’s film bodies, including the very vocal FWICE, weren’t having it. They refused certification. Rumors swirled of boycotts. Gunbir Singh Sidhu, the film’s co-producer, pulled the plug on the India release and then, in a move that felt very much like damage control via press, blamed Hania for going “below the belt.” He also casually dropped that the film is eating a 40% loss thanks to the India blackout. Ouch.
But here’s the plot twist: Sardaar Ji 3 is a smash in Pakistan. Like, record-breaking smash. It’s outperformed Salman’s Sultan, which is basically like saying you outsold Beyoncé in Texas. Theaters are full. Socials are lit. And Diljit’s face is everywhere — except in the country that made him a household name.
Meanwhile, Bollywood’s elite are trying to walk the world’s thinnest tightrope. Enter: Javed Akhtar, ever the voice of reason, publicly pleading for calm. His logic? “If this film flops, it’s Indian producers who lose — not Pakistan.” Fair.
Then there’s Imtiaz Ali, who knows Diljit from their Chamkila days. He chimed in with a gentle flex: “There’s patriotism in that man’s blood.” That’s not PR-speak. That’s a director defending his actor, quietly shutting down the trolls without pouring fuel on the fire.
But the whispers? Oh, they’re getting louder.
Word is, Diljit’s position in Border 2 — yes, the sequel to the iconic ’90s war drama — is “under review.” Some say he’s still in. Others claim Ammy Virk is already warming up backstage. No confirmations, of course. Just the usual “sources close to the production” and cryptic reposts.
And Diljit? He’s been unusually quiet. A few Insta stories here and there, mostly aesthetics and tour life. No official statement. No damage control. Which, in a way, is damage control. He knows his audience. He knows the room.
So what we’re left with is a film that’s tearing up charts overseas while being ghosted at home, a star beloved by all sides but blamed by association, and an industry trying to figure out where the line is between storytelling and statecraft.
It’s a messy, modern Bollywood moment. The kind where art meets nationalism, and even a feel-good sequel can get caught in a geopolitical crossfire.
And yet… give it a week. Watch the streams roll in. Watch the chatter die down. Because if there’s one thing we know about Diljit, it’s this: he always plays the long game. Quietly. Classily. And almost always, with the last laugh.
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Sana has been covering film, fame, and everything in between for over a decade. From red carpets to rehab rumors, she brings nuance, wit, and an insider’s edge to every story. When she’s not reporting, she’s probably watching Koffee With Karan reruns or doom-scrolling celebrity IG feeds.
