Anupam Kher reacts to Diljit Dosanjh's Sardaar Ji 3 controversy: "Couldn't see my sister’s sindoor get destroyed for art"

Sardaarji 3 was screened in a number of international markets despite not being released in India.

Diljit Dosanjh has been at the centre of controversy ever since the release of his film Sardaarji 3, primarily due to the casting of Pakistani actress Hania Aamir and the promotion of the film following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the launch of ‘Operation Sindoor’.

A number of public figures have responded to the controversy, and now veteran actor and filmmaker Anupam Kher has shared his thoughts.

Anupam Kher addressed the matter in a recent interview with NDTV, stating his personal position while highlighting the value of individual freedom. “It’s his fundamental right. He has full freedom to exercise his right and he should be given that freedom,” he stated.

However, he made it clear that he would not have made the same choice. “I can say from my point of view that maybe I wouldn’t do what he did.”

Elaborating further, Kher added, “I’d say, ‘You slapped my father but you sing very well, you play very good tabla, so you come and perform at my house’. But I wouldn’t be able to do that. I am not that great,” he admitted. “I won’t hit him back, but I won’t give him the right… The rule that I practice at my home, I practice in my country. I am not that great that I could see my family get hit or see my sister’s sindoor get destroyed for art. Those who can do so, they have all the freedom.”

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However, a number of Indian film industry organisations, such as the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) and the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA), expressed disapproval of the movie and demanded that Diljit Dosanjh's professional activities in India, including his live performances, be completely prohibited.

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At first, FWICE forbade Diljit from accepting new film projects in response to the uproar. But after producer Bhushan Kumar stepped in and filed an official appeal on Diljit's behalf, things changed. The actor-singer was able to continue filming his next war drama, Border 2, after FWICE granted a special exception in response to this appeal.

Diljit has since resumed work and was recently spotted at Pune’s prestigious National Defence Academy, where he is shooting for Border 2 alongside co-stars Varun Dhawan and Ahan Shetty.