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Is the highly anticipated Punjabi film Sardaar Ji 3 starring Diljit Dosanjh and Hania Aamir hitting Pakistani cinemas soon? All signs point to yes. All three Pakistani censor boards — Sindh, Punjab and federal — have given the film the green light to screen in Pakistani cinemas.

The film’s censor board approval was confirmed to Images by its Pakistan distributor Zain Wali of Wali Films, who also serves as one of the producers.

Aamir also shared a poster on her Instagram story announcing that Sardaar Ji 3, in which she stars opposite Punjabi superstar Dosanjh, will be screened in cinemas across the country. “See you :)” wrote the actor, who enjoys a massive fan following in both Pakistan and India.

The poster she shared listed several major Pakistani cinemas — Cinepax, Nueplex Cinemas (Karachi), Cue Cinemas (Lahore), Centaurus Cineplex (Islamabad), among others — as screening venues for the film.

So far, two cinemas have confirmed that they will definitely be screening the film to Images.

Speaking to Images, Universal Cinemas Lahore shared that they will screen Sardaar Ji 3, with the first show scheduled for 11:45am tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Centaurus Cineplex Islamabad has also confirmed that the film will be screened at their cinemas. A representative told Images that while the schedule has not yet been finalised, showtimes will be announced by 7 or 8pm tonight. Both cinema chains have also shared the film’s poster on their official social media handles.

On the other hand, Nueplex Cinemas, one of the biggest cinema chains in Karachi, said they have not received any directive to screen the film. “The ban on Indian films is still very much in place,” a cinema representative said. “If we do get a notice to screen Sardaar Ji 3, we will announce it accordingly.”

The film is being produced by Gunbir Singh Sidhu, Manmord Sidhu and Dosanjh, and helmed by the production companies White Hill Studios and Story Time Productions, none of whom have announced a Pakistan release through their official platforms.

The lack of a formal statement from the filmmakers has led to some confusion, but the confirmations from cinemas suggest the film might likely open in at least a few locations across the country.

Sardaar Ji 3 is a Punjabi-language film made in India but it sits outside the mainstream Bollywood circuit thanks to White Hill Studios being officially registered as a company in Vancouver, Canada, which is why it’s able to circumvent Pakistan’s restrictions on Indian films. Officially, a ban on Indian films remains in place following a 2019 government directive issued amid political tensions. Other Punjabi films have been screened in Pakistan in the recent past, including the Jatt and Juliet series.

What makes the development more intriguing is that Sardaar Ji 3 is already facing backlash across the border due to Aamir’s casting following the military escalation between India and Pakistan in May, with Indian film bodies calling for a ban on both Dosanjh and the Sardaar Ji 3 makers.

Recently, Dosanjh defended their decision to release the film with Aamir outside of India to mitigate potential financial losses. He also spoke warmly of Aamir.