Veteran playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya has lashed out at Diljit Dosanjh amid the controversy surrounding the latter’s latest film Sardaar Ji 3, which stars Pakistani actor Hania Aamir.
Using an old clip from Diljit’s Dil-Luminati Tour, Abhijeet criticized the singer-actor for reciting Urdu poet Rahat Indori’s famous lines, “Kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai” during one of his concerts.
Abhijeet shared a video montage on Instagram, which included Diljit’s performance and an old interview of his, where he said, “Hindustan hamare baap ka hain…Hindustan hamare baap ke baap ke baap ke purvajo ka hain (India belongs to our fathers and our forefathers)”. At the end of the video, Abhijeet is seen holding the tricolor in his hand, and “Saare Jahan Se Achcha” plays in the background. The video was captioned, “Hindustan Hamare BAAP ka hai.”
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Diljit read this poem during a live show in Indore during his Dil-Luminati tour, which he dedicated to Urdu poet Rahat Indori. The show was opposed by Bajrang Dal. The lines of the poem were, “Agar khilaaf hain hone do, Jaan thodi hai. Ye sab dhua hai asmaan thodi hai. sabhi ka khoon hai shaamil yahan ki mitti mein/ kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai (If they oppose, let them, it’s not life at stake. This is just smoke, not the sky at stake. This land has seen sacrifices from everyone/ Hindustan is not anyone’s property)”.
Sardaar Ji 3 Row
The backlash comes amid the tensions between India and Pakistan post the Pahalgam attack. Even though the makers clarified that they shot Sardaar Ji 3 with Hania before the Pahalgam attack, both Diljit and the filmmakers have been receiving backlash.
The film is scheduled to release overseas on June 27, but its release in India has been put on hold for now, reports say. Diljit dropped the trailer on Instagram, while the trailer has been uploaded to YouTube, it appears to be geo-blocked in India.
All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) wrote a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for immediate and stringent action against Diljit. It further urged the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to deny certification to all of Diljit’s future film projects. The association warned of legal action against any production house or individual who chooses to work with the actor moving forward.
‘Sardar Ji 3’ is a horror-comedy, directed by Amar Hundal and its story is based in the UK. In this, Diljit and Hania play ghost hunters who investigate the strange events happening in a haunted mansion.
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