BBC Newsbeat<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n One of India’s biggest stars Diljit Dosanjh has defended his new film, which won’t be shown in India following controversy over its casting. <\/p>\n The Punjabi singer and actor features in Sardaar Ji 3 alongside Canadian actress Neeru Bajwa, but backlash against his other co-star, Hania Aamir, has overshadowed its release. <\/p>\n The Pakistani actress was criticised for comments online after tensions flared between India and Pakistan in April, when 26 tourists were killed in an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.<\/p>\n Speaking to BBC Asian Network, Diljit defended the movie, saying “everything was fine” between the two countries during filming in February. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n “When the film was being made, the situation was OK.<\/p>\n “After that, there’s been a lot of things… that are not in our hands.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n India blamed Pakistan for the April attack – which Pakistan denied – and then launched air strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with Pakistan firing missiles back.<\/p>\n It was the worst military confrontation between the neighbouring countries in decades, with dozens of people killed. <\/p>\n Hania reportedly shared comments on social media calling India’s strikes “cowardly” and “shameful”.<\/p>\n That sparked backlash in India and calls to boycott the Punjabi-language film, which is released on Friday.<\/p>\n “The producers decided that the film won’t be able to release in India but it can release overseas,” Diljit told BBC Asian Network’s Haroon Rashid, speaking both Punjabi and English. <\/p>\n “Obviously they’ve put a lot of money in the film and when they made it none of this had happened \u2013 so we were like, they are already going to have a loss.”<\/p>\n On working with Hania, Diljit says “we didn’t have much time together” but describes her as “very professional”, adding they had a “very good” experience on set.<\/p>\n Newsbeat has approached Hania Aamir for comment. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Diljit and Neeru have been working together for 15 years and Sardaar Ji 3 is their seventh film together as a lead couple. <\/p>\n The actress says that during that time, Diljit’s work on screen and as a musician has “impacted the Punjabi community greatly”.<\/p>\n “We finally have representation,” she says. “We are finally being celebrated and it is because of him.”<\/p>\n Diljit’s profile has been slowly rising outside of India, where he’s been a household name for years.<\/p>\n And his reputation for representing Punjabi culture was on display at last month’s Met Gala in New York.<\/p>\n His head-turning look was inspired by 20th century Indian king Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and included a cape printed with Gurmukhi (Punjabi) script and a jewel-encrusted turban, as well as a replica of a priceless necklace worn by the monarch.<\/p>\n “For me to go to the Met Gala wasn’t a big thing,” he says. <\/p>\n “But for Punjab and the turban to go there – that was the biggest thing.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The star says the thought of wearing the symbolic outfit to the event \u2013 seen by millions around the world \u2013 got him emotional before he’d even arrived.<\/p>\n And the look wouldn’t be complete without a key accessory \u2013 his kirpan.<\/p>\n He says he was told not to take the ceremonial sword with him, but managed to get it past the event’s security thanks to an unwitting accomplice.<\/p>\n Shakira.<\/p>\n “Her dress was huge and had lots of pins and metal in it,” he says.<\/p>\n “And because Shakira is such a big star, no-one wanted to go behind her because they wouldn’t get any photos.<\/p>\n “I thought: ‘I don’t mind, I’ve come here, that’s the main thing’.<\/p>\n “As she was going through the metal detector, it was beeping so much \u2013 I just put the kirpan under my cape and followed through.<\/p>\n “They were so busy checking her that they didn’t even check me.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As well as fashion and acting, Diljit has been making waves around the world with music too. <\/p>\n In 2023, he became the first Punjabi star to play Coachella, following that up with an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2024.<\/p>\n He says he purposely chose to sing Punjabi folk and bhangra tracks during the performance rather than some of his more western-inspired songs.<\/p>\n “If I’ve been given the chance to be on that stage, if I can showcase our music, our beats, then that’s a big deal,” he says.<\/p>\n He recently released a dance track with Korean star Jackson Wang, went viral on social media with Will Smith and brought out Ed Sheeran during his UK tour.<\/p>\n “It’s my intention if my song becomes a massive international hit then I want it to be Punjabi in feel, the beat, it needs a dhol in it,” he says.<\/p>\n “Otherwise what’s the point if it’s the same as someone else’s style?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Watch Haroon Rashid’s full interview with Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa on the BBC Asian Network <\/i>Youtube Channel<\/i><\/a> and listen to his show on weekdays from 11:00-15:00 on <\/i>BBC Sounds<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/a187\/live\/f2b3a3d0-512e-11f0-b112-7be61cc67a6b.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/static.files.bbci.co.uk\/bbcdotcom\/web\/20250616-143050-043f96f72f-web-2.23.1-5\/grey-placeholder.png\")
![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/e015\/live\/483f0c60-51b4-11f0-bdc1-3392cff01039.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Neeru](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/523a\/live\/eb1d1da0-519b-11f0-a0e9-abfbd30ab4f2.jpg.webp\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/af5b\/live\/d3e471b0-519b-11f0-a0e9-abfbd30ab4f2.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/04a7\/live\/841f0c40-5131-11f0-b112-7be61cc67a6b.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/8366\/live\/74a706f0-15d7-11ef-9b12-1ba8f95c4917.jpg.webp\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n