'Sardaar Ji 3' shot before Pahalgam attack, India-Pak still playing cricket: Diljit Dosanjh

New Delhi: Tagged anti-national by some for acting in a film with a Pakistani artiste, Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh has said "Sardaar Ji 3" was shot before the Pahalgam terror attack and pointed out that India and Pakistan continue to play cricket even now.

The film, which did not get an India release but was shown in overseas theatres, features Pakistan's Hania Aamir. It led to a storm on social media and elsewhere with some users calling for a ban on Dosanjh, and film unions criticising him for collaborating with a Pakistani artist in the wake of the April 22 attack that claimed the lives of 26 people.

Addressing a packed auditorium during a concert in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday evening, an evidently hurt Dosanjh spoke of the massive controversy over his film.

"The media tried its best to portray me as anti-national but Punjabis and the Sikh community can never go against the nation," he said. "When my film 'Sardaar Ji 3' was shot in February, matches were being played. After that, the tragic Pahalgam terror attack happened. At that time, and even now, we have always prayed that the terrorists should receive the strictest punishment. The difference is that my film was shot before the attack, and matches are still being played," Dosanjh added.

India and Pakistan have played each other twice in the ongoing Asia Cup being held in Dubai.

In a video circulating on social media, Dosanjh is also seen saluting the tricolour being waved by a concert goer.

"Woh mere desh da jhanda hai (That's my country's flag). Always respect," he said in Punjabi before asking the crowd at the Axiata Arena in the Malaysian capital permission to share a few words with them.

The Pahalgam terror attack led to a sharp escalation in hostilities between India and Pakistan. In retaliation, 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 an interview with the BBC Asian Network in June, Dosanjh defended his decision to release “Sardaar Ji 3” in overseas territories.

“When this film was made, the situation was fine… We shot it in February and everything was going well at that time. Look, there are a lot of things, big things, that are not in our control. So the producers decided that obviously, now this film won’t release in India, so let’s release it overseas.

“And now, the situation isn’t in our hands. So if they want to release it abroad, then I’m with them,” he said.

"Sardaar Ji 3", a horror comedy featuring Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa in the main roles, is presented by White Hill Studios in association with Storytime Productions. It is directed by Amar Hundal and produced by Gunbir Singh Sidhu and Manmord Sidhu.