Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah recently found himself in the midst of a social media stir after deleting a Facebook post in which he defended Diljit Dosanjh. Dosanjh had faced criticism for his upcoming film, Sardaar Ji 3, due to the casting of Pakistani actor Hania Aamir in the third installment of the popular franchise. While Shah’s original post, now removed without explanation, clarified that casting decisions were not Diljit’s responsibility, it also urged the public not to hold actors accountable for choices made by producers or studios.
Beyond the specific controversy, Shah’s deleted post also addressed the broader, often strained, relationship between India and Pakistan. He expressed concern over attempts to restrict personal or artistic exchanges between the two nations, emphasizing the importance of keeping art and cinema separate from political tensions.
On Monday, before its deletion, Naseeruddin Shah’s social media post unequivocally supported Diljit Dosanjh. He wrote, “I STAND FIRMLY WITH DILJIT. The dirty tricks deptt of 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. 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.” He concluded his defiant statement with, “And my response to those who will say “Go to Pakistan” is “GO TO KAILASA”.”
Despite the backlash and the subsequent deletion of Shah’s supportive post, Diljit Dosanjh has remained confident about his decision to release Sardaar Ji 3 worldwide, even offering fans a glimpse into its reception in Pakistan.
