MUMBAI, June 30 — Cinema legend Naseeruddin Shah has come out strongly in support of Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh, who is facing sharp criticism over the casting of Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in the upcoming film Sardaar Ji 3. The backlash follows the film’s trailer launch in international markets on June 27, amid heightened tensions after the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Industry bodies like the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) have condemned Dosanjh for collaborating with a Pakistani actor, with several social media users even calling for a boycott of the actor-singer.
Shah, however, took a firm stand on the controversy in a Facebook post on Monday. “I STAND FIRMLY WITH DILJIT,” he wrote. “The dirty tricks deptt of the Jumla Party has been awaiting a chance to attack him. They think they’ve got it at last.”
He stressed that the casting of Aamir was not Dosanjh’s responsibility. “He was not responsible for the casting of the film; the director was. But no one knows who he is, whereas Diljit is known the world over, and he agreed to the cast because his mind is not poisoned,” Shah added, referring to director Amar Hundal, who helmed Sardaar Ji 3, which also stars Neeru Bajwa.
The veteran actor also criticised efforts to curtail cultural exchange between India and Pakistan. “What these goons want is to put an end to personal interaction between the people of India and Pakistan,” Shah wrote. “I have close relatives and some dear friends there and no one can stop me from meeting them or sending them love whenever I feel like it. And my response to those who will say ‘Go to Pakistan’ is ‘GO TO KAILASA’.”
Shah is set to appear alongside Dosanjh in an upcoming film directed by Imtiaz Ali, who also voiced his support for the singer-actor at a recent event.
“Since I know Diljit, I can say that us mein deshbhakti ka jazbaa poora bhara hua hai. He is a son of the soil,” Ali said. “At all his concerts, he shows up with the Indian flag. No one asks him to do it. At the end of every performance, he says, ‘Main hoon Punjab’, with the tricolour held high.”
The filmmaker, who directed Dosanjh in the acclaimed 2024 biopic Amar Singh Chamkila, added that casting decisions are not typically in the actor’s hands. “I don’t know how this casting came about, but I know that Diljit ke andar desh prem bahut zyada hai,” he said.
While Sardaar Ji 3 has skipped a domestic release for now, the controversy has sparked a broader debate on artistic freedom, nationalism, and Indo-Pak cultural collaboration.
