Punjabi singer & actor Diljit Dosanjh has been in hot water ever since the trailer of his movie Sardaar Ji 3 was released. Currently streaming in theaters outside India, Diljit Dosanjh has been facing major criticism over the casting of Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in Sardaar Ji 3. White Hill Studio clarified that the casting was done months before the Pahalgam Terror Attack, Diljit also clarified that a lot of money has been invested by the producers, and hence is supporting their decision to release the movie abroad. However, fans on social media are not ready to accept Diljit's justification and are demanding strict action. Furthermore, film bodies like FWICE and AICWA have demanded a complete boycott of Diljit in India and have even written to the makers of Border 2 to remove him from the movie.
Amid the controversy and call for a boycott, residents of Diljit's hometown, Dosanjh Kalan, have come out in support of the Punjabi singer.
'Diljit never said anything against the country'
One of the villagers said, "It seems very clear that people are uncomfortable with the fact that someone from a small village, from a humble and poor background, has achieved such tremendous success. Many of those who were already stars, or came from privileged backgrounds, are now seeing their status decline, while Diljit has risen to international fame. His stature today is towering; I don’t think Diljit will ever stoop low. He’s destined to reach even greater global heights."
"And let me be clear, he has never said anything against the country. In fact, he talks about patriotism, about the pride of wearing the turban, about Punjabi identity and culture. He has preserved and promoted his heritage with deep love and respect. The ones criticizing him now, these so-called stars who are jealous, I just want to say to them: instead of pulling someone down, why don’t you work hard and achieve what he has? Pulling legs will get you nowhere."
'An artist is an artist'
Another villager added, "An artist performs a role, regardless of whether they are from Pakistan or India. At the end of the day, an artist is an artist. Some people are trying to drag him down, and that’s unfair."
A third resident spoke out strongly against calls to remove Diljit from Border 2. The resident said, "This is completely wrong. Whenever someone tries to rise, people try to pull them back, even among fellow artists. Take the example of Sidhu Moose Wala; his murder, too, in some way, happened because he had become too popular, too influential. He had strong public connections, especially being a proud Sardar. That internal rivalry became a reason for his death. Diljit hasn’t said or done anything wrong. We also hope there is no war, because in the end, it is the common people who suffer the most."