The producers of Sardaar Ji 3 have revealed that the film took a major financial hit, losing an estimated 40% of its potential revenue after it was not released in India due to rising political tensions and social media outrage.
In an interview with an Indian private news channel, producer Gunbir Singh Sidhu confirmed that the decision to pull the film’s India release was made voluntarily following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. The attack reignited cross-border hostilities, and Sidhu said the producers wanted to avoid stoking further controversy.
“We decided not to release the film in India to avoid hurting public sentiment,” Sidhu stated. “Even though the film was shot in the UK before these tensions began, the situation changed, and we didn’t want to risk inflaming emotions or becoming a target for trolling.”
The film, featuring Diljit Dosanjh, Neeru Bajwa, and Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, was released internationally on June 27. However, backlash from Indian film groups and online communities—particularly over Aamir’s casting—led the team to halt all promotional efforts in India. The Film Federation of Western Indian Cinema (FFWIC) even called for a boycott of the film and demanded action against Dosanjh.
Sidhu acknowledged that the backlash grew stronger after both Hania Aamir and Mahira Khan publicly criticized India’s controversial Operation Sindoor earlier this year. “They shouldn’t have made such statements. I won’t comment more, but I do believe it was insulting,” he added.
Sidhu also compared the situation with his previous hit Jatt & Juliet 3, which grossed over ₹100 crore globally in 2024—with 40% of the earnings coming from India alone. “Missing out on India means we’ve effectively lost that 40% share for Sardaar Ji 3,” he said.
Sardaar Ji 3, a continuation of the popular comedy-supernatural franchise, stars Dosanjh once again as a quirky ghost hunter, with the plot set in the UK. Hania Aamir made her debut in Indian Punjabi cinema with the film.
Despite the India setback, the film has performed well in overseas markets like Canada, the UK, and Australia, thanks to their large Punjabi-speaking communities.
Neither Diljit Dosanjh nor Hania Aamir have commented publicly about the controversy. However, co-star Neeru Bajwa made headlines recently by unfollowing Aamir on Instagram and removing all related film promotions from her profile—an action many see as a reaction to mounting public and industry pressure.
