Naseeruddin Shah 'Backs Diljit Dosanjh' Amid Row Over Casting Pakistani Actress Hania Aamir in Sardaar Ji 3

Diljit Dosanjh has been surrounded by controversy for quite some time now due to his latest film ‘Sardaar Ji 3’. The reason is the inclusion of Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in the film. Although there was no mention of Hania Aamir when the teaser was released, the moment people saw her in the trailer, negative reactions started pouring in. Now, veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah has come out in support of his latest film, saying Diljit Dosanjh is being unfairly targeted.

After the Pahalgam attack in April, the Indian government imposed a ban on Pakistani artists. However, despite the ban, Hania’s presence in Diljit’s film has led to demands for the film to be banned in India. Several celebrities have spoken against Diljit, while a few have stood by him — Naseeruddin Shah being one of them. He has stated that the casting was not done by Diljit.

'Diljit Did Not Do the Casting'

Recently, the actor posted on Facebook, writing, "I stand with Diljit. The dirty tricks department of the Jumla Party has been waiting for an opportunity to attack him — and they think they’ve finally found it. The actor has come out for his support, saying that he was not responsible for the film's casting – the director was. But no one knows who the director is, while Diljit is known worldwide. He accepted the cast because his mind is not poisoned.

What do these goons want — to stop all personal communication between people of India and Pakistan?

I have close relatives and some dear friends there, and no one can stop me from meeting them or sending them love whenever I wish. And to those people who will say 'Go to Pakistan' or 'Go to Kailasa', this is my response."

Film Released on June 27

Talking about the film, its trailer wasn’t even available on YouTube, and the movie has not been released in India. Neeru Bajwa, a Punjabi actress, also featured in the recently released film Sardaar Ji 3 on June 27. The filmmaker says the film's shooting was done before the Pahalgam Attack. All of Neeru Bajwa's Sardaar Ji 3 posts have been removed from her Instagram account due to growing controversy around the film.