I stand firmly with Diljit Dosanjh: Naseeruddin Shah on 'Sardaar Ji 3' controversy
New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI): Cinema veteran Naseeruddin Shah on Monday defended Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh amid backlash over Pakistani actor Hania Aamir's role in "Sardaar Ji 3", saying casting is not the actor-musician’s responsibility.
The row began last week after Dosanjh shared the trailer of "Sardaar Ji 3", which made its debut in overseas territories on June 27 and skipped release in India.
Many social media users have called for a ban on Dosanjh, while trade unions like the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) and the Federation of Western lndia Cine Employees (FWICE) have criticised the Punjabi actor-musician for collaborating with Aamir in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Shah, who will feature alongside Dosanjh in filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's next film, shared a post on his official Facebook page, saying that he firmly stands with the actor on the issue.
The veteran actor, known for taking a stand on pertinent issues, said if someone has to be blamed for casting Aamir in the movie, then it should be the film's director.
"I STAND FIRMLY WITH DILJIT. The dirty tricks deptt of the Jumla Party has been awaiting a chance to attack him. They think they’ve got it at last. He was not responsible for the casting of the film; the director was.
"But no one knows who he is, whereas Diljit is known the world over, and he agreed to the cast because his mind is not poisoned," Shah wrote.
"Sardaar Ji 3" is helmed by Amar Hundal and also stars Neeru Bajwa.
Shah further said he has close relatives and friends in Pakistan and no one can stop him from meeting them.
“What these goons want is to put an end to personal interaction between the people of India and Pakistan. I have close relatives and some dear friends there and no one can stop me from meeting them or sending them love whenever I feel like it. And my response to those who will say 'Go to Pakistan' is 'GO TO KAILASA'," he wrote.
Imtiaz Ali, who earlier directed Dosanjh in the critically-acclaimed 2024 movie "Amar Singh Chamkila", came out in support of the actor at an event last week.
"Since I know Diljit, I can say that us mein deshbhakti ka jazbaa poora bhara hua hai (He is a patriot at heart). He is a son of the soil. You can see at all his concerts, he shows up with the Indian flag.
"He is not a guy who fakes things... No one asked him to do it. At the end of all his concerts, he says, "Main hoon Punjab", with the Indian flag. I don't know the details, but casting someone isn't the decision of the actor. I don't know how it went, but I know that uske andar desh prem bahut zyada hai (He loves his country too much)," Ali said.
In an interview with the BBC Asian Network last week, Dosanjh defended the decision to release "Sardaar Ji 3" in overseas territories. He also said when he signed the movie, there was no trouble between India and Pakistan.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives. In retaliation, the Indian armed forces carried out strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7, in an operation codenamed Operation Sindoor.
In the aftermath, social media accounts of many Pakistani actors, including Aamir, Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, were withheld in India.
Many trade organisations also reiterated their call for a ban on Pakistani artists in the Indian film industry.
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Assam polls: Cong announces first list of 42 candidates, Gaurav to contest from Jorhat
Guwahati (PTI): The opposition Congress on Tuesday took the lead in announcing its first list of 42 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, with it comprising both sitting MLAs and former ministers, and also new faces, including sons of three prominent politicians.
The party's chief ministerial candidate and state president Gaurav Gogoi will contest from the prestigious Jorhat assembly constituency, currently held by BJP's Hitendra Nath Goswami.
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha will make his first electoral foray for the assembly.
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Gogoi is currently the party MP from the Jorhat parliamentary constituency and previously represented Kaliabor twice before it was reconstituted during the delimitation exercise in the state.
The leader of the opposition in the state assembly, Debabrata Saikia, will contest from the family stronghold of Nazira, which he has represented since 2016. His father, former chief minister Hiteswar Saikia, and his mother, Hemoprava Saikia, previously represented the constituency.
Three sitting MLAs -- Nandita Das from Hajo-Sualkuchi, Diganta Barman from Barkhetry and Nurul Huda from Rupohihat -- have also been included in the list.
Das, a two-time MLA, had earlier contested from Boko but following the delimitation exercise in the state, she has been shifted to Hajo-Sualkuchi while Barman and Huda will contest from the same seats they represented in the current assembly.
Former minister and state Congress president Ripun Bora will contest from Barchalla while another former minister, Ajit Singh, will contest from Udharbond constituency in Barak Valley.
Former minister and Deputy Speaker Pranati Phukan, a four-time MLA till 2016, will contest from Naharkatia in Upper Assam.
Tanzil Hussain, son of Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain, will contest from Samaguri where he had lost to BJP's Diplu Ranjan Sarmah in the 2024 by-elections which was necessitated following the election of the senior Hussain to Lok Sabha.
Prateek Bordoloi, son of Nagaon MP Prodyut Bordoloi, will contest the Margherita seat which was represented by his father thrice since 2001.
Former five-time MP and prominent tea tribe leader Paban Singh Ghatowar's son Pranjal Ghatowar will contest from the Chabua-Lahowal seat.
Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur, who had unsuccessfully contested the last parliamentary polls from Gauhati, has been given the ticket for the prestigious Dispur constituency.
Former BJP MLA Ashok Sarma, who was denied ticket by the ruling party in 2021 and went on to join the Congress in 2024, will contest from his previous Nalbari seat.
Another former BJP MLA and Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar, who joined the Congress in 2024, will contest from Sonai constituency in Barak Valley.
Former AGP MLA Satyabrat Kalita, who joined the Congress in September 2025, will contest from Kamalpur seat.
Other prominent faces in the list include former Congress MLAs Durga Bhumij from Doomdooma, Binanda Kumar Saikia from Sipahjhar and Bubul Das from Jagiroad (SC) constituency.
The Congress is a leading part of the unified opposition alliance, 'Asom Sonmilito Morcha', formed to challenge the ruling BJP, and has entered into seat-sharing arrangements with the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and the Left, but is yet to finalise it with Raijor Dal.
Presently, the ruling BJP's strength in the 126-member assembly is 64, while its allies AGP has nine MLAs, UPPL has seven and BPF has three members.
In the opposition camp, the Congress has 26 MLAs, AIUDF has 15 members and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is an Independent legislator as well.
