Indian Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh stirred headlines once again with the release of his latest film “Sardaar Ji 3”, but this time, it wasn’t just the music or comedy that caught attention. It was the bold casting of Pakistani actress Hania Aamir that triggered both controversy and celebration across borders.
Hania Aamir’s Casting and the Indian Backlash
The casting of Hania Aamir drew intense criticism from segments of the Indian media, and even prompted calls for the film to be banned in Pakistan. Pressure mounted on Diljit Dosanjh from extremist groups and political circles in India to remove Hania’s scenes and reshoot them. However, Diljit refused to comply, standing firmly by the decision to retain Hania in the film.
Despite threats of being boycotted by Bollywood and facing a potential ban, Diljit remained committed to his stance. As a result, the Indian authorities banned the film domestically, and right-wing factions like the RSS launched a campaign against the film on social media.
A Phenomenal Global Response
In spite of the backlash, “Sardaar Ji 3” was released worldwide on June 27 and received a phenomenal response. The film premiered in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Pakistan, and other regions, generating strong support especially from the Pakistani diaspora who embraced it as their own.
On its opening day, “Sardaar Ji 3” grossed $543,700 USD worldwide. By the end of the first weekend, the film had collected $1.89 million USD globally, marking a highly successful start.
Outstanding Performance in Pakistan
In Pakistan, the film grossed $120,000 USD (approximately PKR 34 million) on its opening day. By the end of the first weekend, the collection reached $419,000 USD, translating to over PKR 118.8 million.
This surpasses the previous three-day box office record of Carry on Jatta 3, which had performed well during the Eid holiday. After Canada, Pakistan emerged as the second-highest contributor to the film’s total revenue.
Country-Wise Performance Highlights
- Canada: Strongest performance with $195,000 CAD on Day 1, and a weekend total of $615,000 CAD.
- Australia: Collected $80,000 AUD on opening day—less than the $201,000 AUD opening of “Jatt & Juliet 3”.
- UK & UAE: Surpassed previous Punjabi hits like “Jatt & Juliet” and “Carry on Jatta” thanks to overwhelming support from Pakistani audiences.
Performance Across Pakistani Cities
The film witnessed houseful shows in Punjab cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Multan, Sialkot, and Rawalpindi, prompting cinemas to add more screenings over the weekend.
In Karachi, however, where Punjabi films typically struggle to find an audience, the film did not generate significant footfall despite Hania Aamir’s presence. Still, anticipation had been high for improved performance in the southern circuit.
Impact on Local Pakistani Films
The unexpected success of “Sardaar Ji 3” affected the performance of local films—most notably Humayun Saeed’s ‘Love Guru’, which had several of its shows replaced with “Sardaar Ji 3” screenings due to audience demand.
Projected Box Office Future
Given the strong first weekend numbers in Pakistan, box office analysts are now predicting a total gross of over PKR 300 million, potentially making it one of the highest-grossing Punjabi films ever released in the country.
