Diljit's 'Sardaar Ji 3' to only release in overseas territories after row over Hania Aamir's casting
New Delhi, Jun 23 (PTI): Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh's new movie "Sardaar Ji 3" will only be released in overseas territories following controversy and calls for boycott over the casting of Pakistani actor Hania Aamir.
The movie, the third in Dosanjh's horror comedy franchise, will release in theatres outside India on June 27.
"'Sardaar Ji 3' Releasing 27th June overseas only. Fadh Lao Bhoond Dian Lattan," the actor-singer posted on Instagram.
The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) criticised Dosanjh and the movie's team for casting Aamir in the movie.
"Despite knowing the recent brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, in which 26 innocent Indian lives were lost at the hands of Pakistani-sponsored terrorists, Diljit Dosanjh has shockingly chosen to cast a Pakistani artist.
"This decision comes at a time when the entire nation—140 crore Indians, the government, the opposition, and citizens across all walks of life—are united against Pakistan and standing in solidarity with the families of the martyred," the organisation said in a statement.
Through his actions, the AICWA said, Dosanjh has disrespected the sentiments of the nation and insulted the sacrifice of soldiers and civilians.
"His preference for Pakistani talent over Indian artists raises serious questions about his loyalty and priorities," it added.
Aamir's presence in the movie has irked many social media users, who expressed their disappointment in the comments section of Dosanjh's post.
"Boycott," wrote one of the users.
"Diljit Dosanjh is a traitor," another user said.
"Country first, boycott @diljitdosanjh @teamdiljitglobal," wrote another.
Hostilities between India and Pakistan intensified following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people on April 22.
In response, Indian armed forces hit nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7 under the codename Operation Sindoor.
In the aftermath of the terror attack, social media accounts of many Pakistani actors, including Hania, Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, were withheld in India. PTI ATR
Around the same time, "Abir Gulaal", a romantic drama featuring Pakistani star Fawad Khan, was not allowed to release in theatres in India.
Directed by Amar Hundal, "Sardaar Ji 3" is produced by Gunbir Singh Sidhu and Manmord Sidhu of White Hill Studios alongside Story Time Productions.
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Indigo flights chaos: SCR to run special trains to clear passenger rush
Hyderabad (PTI): The South Central Railway on Saturday announced that it would run four special trains to manage the surge in passengers resulting from the large-scale cancellation of IndiGo flights here.
The move comes as flyers face significant disruption and long queues at the airport due to the cancellation.
A press release from the SCR said it is running the special trains to clear the extra rush of passengers to Chennai, Mumbai and Shalimar (Kolkata) from Hyderabad today.
Meanwhile, as many as 43 outbound Indigo flights were cancelled from here on Saturday, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport sources said.
ALSO READ: IndiGo cancels over 200 flights from Delhi, Mumbai on Saturday
Similarly, 26 incoming flights are also likely to be cancelled during the day, they said.
The flight cancellations drew ire from passengers, who thronged the IndiGo counters at the airport demanding to know the exact situation.
“This is utter nonsense! Digiyatra done, message received that departure has been rescheduled ahead of the scheduled departure and now upon arriving at Hyderabad airport coming to know at the security checkpoint that Indigo flight is cancelled,” Tarun Singha, former Ministry of Defence spokesperson said in a post on X.
“But the thing is if you don’t shout they do nothing. Example at Hyderabad Airport, there was no staff no flight information for an hour. Then a fellow passenger started shouting on mic and an Indigo staff appeared finally,” a netizen said in a post.
On Friday, when IndiGo cancelled over 1,000 flights from across airports, its CEO Pieter Elbers apologised in a video message for the major inconvenience caused to passengers due to the disruptions.
In the one-way video communication, Elbers also said that the airline was expecting fewer than 1,000 flights on Saturday.
