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The Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) and the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) have waded into the cultural row over Sardaar Ji 3, the upcoming film starring Diljit Dosanjh and Pakistan’s very own Hania Aamir. The film bodies have threatened to boycott Dosanjh and the comedy film producers and vowed to prevent future plans to release the film in India.

Currently, Sardaar Ji 3 is not scheduled for release in India. As its producer, Gunbir Singh Sidhu clarified, the film, which was shot well before the recent wave of heightened India-Pakistan tensions, is only getting an overseas release on Friday.

Still, that hasn’t stopped the president of AICWA from accusing Dosanjh of “working with a terrorist” and FWICE from labelling the cross-border casting as a “betrayal of the nation” and a “promotion of anti-India narratives.”

AICWA issues statement

In a statement replete with hyperbole, the AICWA said it “strongly condemns the inclusion of Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in the upcoming film Sardar Ji 3, produced and headlined by Indian singer and producer Diljit Dosanjh, along with other co-producers.”

The AICWA said Dosanjh and the makers of Sardaar Ji 3 featured Aamir despite the Pahalgam attack, which it claimed to have been perpetrated by “Pakistani-sponsored terrorists”. Islamabad has denied any involvement in the attack and despite its calls for India to provide evidence to back up their claims, the Indian government has not provided any proof of Pakistan’s involvement.

“This decision comes at a time when the entire nation — 140 crore Indians, the government, the opposition, and citizens across all walks of life — are united against Pakistan and standing in solidarity with the families of the martyred,” the statement added.

The film body said Dosanjh had “disrespected the sentiments of the nation and insulted the sacrifice of our brave soldiers and civilians. His preference for Pakistani talent over Indian artists raises serious questions about his loyalty and priorities.”

It announced a complete boycott of the singer and actor, urging all Indian producers, production houses, music companies, event organisers, and film workers to “stand united and not associate with Dosanjh in any professional capacity.”

The AICWA said it will approach various industry unions, workers’ bodies, and stakeholders to uphold its call. In a video statement, politician and AICWA President Suresh Shyamlal Gupta called Aamir a “terrorist” and accused Dosanjh of working with a “terrorist country”.

FWICE threatens boycott

BN Tiwari, president of FWICE, criticised Dosanjh for working with Aamir and demanded a complete ban on all his future projects.

Tiwari told The Hindustan Times, “By working with a Pakistani actor, Diljit has hurt Indian sentiments. He has disrespected the sentiments of the nation and insulted the sacrifice of our brave soldiers. His preference for Pakistani talent over Indian artists raises serious questions about his loyalty and priorities.”

He added, “We have heard that the film is not being released in India. But if they plan to release it, we will ban it. For now, they are releasing overseas only. That being said, Diljit working with a Pakistani actor is something we are not ready to overlook. We have called for a strict ban on all upcoming films, songs or any other sort of projects. We will also issue a formal letter on the same today. Along with Diljit, we have also called for a ban on the producers of the film regarding all their upcoming films.”

In its official statement, FWICE accused the Sardaar Ji 3 team of defying an industry-wide ban on Pakistani artists and labelled Aamir a “vocal propagandist against India.” The body further urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take “strict and immediate action” and framed the collaboration as a “shameful betrayal” during a time of national mourning, reported The Hindu.

Their statement, delivered with theatrical flair, calls for Prime Minister Modi’s direct intervention and urges all Indian film bodies, exhibitors, OTT platforms and distributors to sever ties with Dosanjh and the film’s creative team. The real surprise, however, isn’t FWICE’s reaction — we’ve seen this before — but the language used.

Ashok Pandit calls Dosanjh a ‘compulsive lawbreaker’

Ashok Pandit, who serves as the president of the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association, called Dosanjh a “compulsive, regular lawbreaker”, who has always “promoted Pakistani performers”.

Speaking to ANI, he said, “The matter is very serious because Diljit Dosanjh is a compulsive, regular lawbreaker, as far as our industry is concerned. He has always promoted Pakistani performers, Pakistani singers, and Pakistani actors. He knows the reason. When the industry is appealing to him, and there is no need to appeal to the industry, when it comes to the nation, the integrity of the nation, the internal security of the nation, even then, this person makes the same mistake again and again.”

It’s worth noting that film bodies in India have made similar calls in the past against Indian artists associating with Pakistani talent — be it Fawad Khan, Atif Aslam or Mahira Khan. The backlash is always immediate, nationalistic in tone and often divorced from artistic or cinematic merit.

Yet, in the face of this, Pakistani celebrities have been rallying behind Aamir. From Zara Noor Abbas to Anoushey Ashraf, the sentiment in Pakistan has been clear: art should transcend politics, and actors should not be scapegoated for geopolitical tensions.

Dosanjh, true to form, hasn’t responded directly to either AICWA or FWICE.

When the trailer for Sardaar Ji 3 dropped this Sunday, it wasn’t just the reveal of Aamir as the female lead that caught everyone’s attention — it was also the unbothered way Dosanjh shared it on his social media pages.

The trailer reveal came after a wave of backlash from Indian film authorities at the hint of Dosanjh, including Aamir. FWICE had already threatened to oust him from Bollywood for including Pakistani actors like Aamir, Nasir Chinyoti, Daniel Khawar and Saleem Albela in the horror-comedy. It even called for the Central Board of Film Censors to deny the film certification.