India Punjabi star's global film smash denied release at home

He is No 1 in a UK list of Asia's top 50 celebrities, has headlined arenas around the world as part of his sold-out Dil-Luminati tour, and recently strutted the Met Gala carpet in an ivory-toned turban. But despite Diljit Dosanjh's stellar status, the Punjabi actor-singer has been caught in a cultural and political row that has halted the Indian release of his latest movie, Sardaar Ji 3.

- Viren Naidu

The horror comedy came out internationally on 27 June and is on its way to becoming one of the highest-grossing Punjabi-language films of all time. But it has been denied a cinema release in India, where it has been deemed controversial because of the nationality of the film's co-star, Pakistani actor Hania Aamir.

The militant attack in Kashmir on 22 April reignited India-Pakistan tensions, and as a result the Indian government mandated the removal of all content from Pakistan on digital platforms. Sardaar Ji 3 was filmed in the UK in February 2025, well before the attack, but the Federation of Western India Cine Employees union urged India's Central Board of Film Certification to deny the film a release certificate on the basis of Aamir's nationality.