Sardaarji 3 Producer Claims 40% Revenue Loss After Skipping India Release Due to Hania Aamir’s Casting

Sardaarji 3 Producer Opens Up on India Release Controversy, Confirms 40% Revenue Loss.

Amid ongoing backlash over the casting of Pakistani actor Hania Aamir in Sardaarji 3, producer Gunbir Singh Sidhu has addressed the controversy and revealed the financial impact of the film’s decision to skip its India release.

Backlash Over Casting Hania Aamir
After the trailer was released, Sardaarji 3—starring Diljit Dosanjh—faced sharp criticism on social media for featuring Pakistani talent, particularly in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. The film was shot in February in the UK, prior to the incident.

Film associations in India had called for a boycott, urging a ban on the film due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Addressing the situation, Sidhu explained, “There was no political tension or government advisory against working with Pakistani artists when the film was shot. After the Pahalgam attack, we chose not to release the film in India, respecting public sentiment.”

Sidhu also responded to online criticism of Hania Aamir’s and Mahira Khan’s comments on Operation Sindoor—India’s military response to the Pahalgam attack. “They should not have made those statements. It was below the belt,” he said, while refraining from further comment.

40% Revenue Loss Due to India Release Skipped
Speaking about the business impact, Sidhu compared Sardaarji 3’s potential with the box office success of Jatt & Juliet 3, which grossed ₹100 crore globally—40% of which came from India.

“In similar market terms, we lost around ₹40 crore by not releasing in India,” he stated. “It’s a significant hit, but we prioritized sentiments over profit.”

About Sardaarji 3
Sardaarji 3 is the latest chapter in the hit Punjabi fantasy-comedy franchise led by Diljit Dosanjh. In this instalment, he reprises his role as a quirky ghost hunter navigating a supernatural case in the UK. The film stars Hania Aamir and Neeru Bajwa and was released internationally on June 27. However, it was withheld from release in India due to the controversy.