As tension is on the rise following the announcement that Diljit Dosanjh’s upcoming film Sardaar Ji 3 will premiere overseas, his manager Sonali Singh has issued a statement questioning whether the beloved artist is being subjected to racism and religious bias at home.
The statement titled ‘Always Choosing Love Over Hate’ defends Dosanjh’s decision to skip an Indian release in light of backlash regarding the film’s Pakistani co-star and larger political sensitivities.
“In a career spanning over two decades, Diljit Dosanjh has become a cultural icon not only for India but for the global stage,” Singh wrote. “Yet, time and again, he has been placed under the scanner, especially as a proud Sikh, a Punjabi, and an artist who has chosen to represent India with quiet pride rather than loud declarations.”
She clarified that the film was completed long before the current political climate escalated and that attacking its release now undermines an entire ecosystem of creators who invested personal life savings into the project.
Singh added: “What hurts the most is this …on one hand, the global media celebrates him – the first Indian to perform at Coachella, to appear on Jimmy Fallon, to walk the Met Gala – always proudly carrying his turban, his culture, and India with him. But on the other hand, in his own country, how quickly we forget.”
The statement doesn’t shy away from asking uncomfortable but necessary questions: “Is it because he wears a turban? Because he is not Hindu?
Is that why he is asked, again and again, to prove his patriotism while others are simply assumed to be loyal?”
In the eyes of Singh and many fans, Dosanjh has never wavered in his message of unity and love.
Despite the personal and professional setbacks, he chose not to release the film in India in respect for the nation’s current sentiments, despite the massive financial losses this would cause.
“This isn’t easy. But it’s what he believes is right,” the statement reads. “And like always, he’s choosing love. He’s choosing others over himself.”
The filmmakers also moved forward to reiterate that Sardaar Ji 3 was filmed prior to the Pahalgam terror attack and urged the public to see the project for what it is, a creative effort meant to uplift the Punjabi film industry, not a political statement.