NEW DELHI: Due to the tensions between Pakistan and India, the Indian Punjabi actress Neeru Bajwa has unfollowed Pakistani actress Hania Aamir on social media and removed all promotional posts for their upcoming movie Sardaar Ji 3 from her verified Instagram account.
Neeru Bajwa’s move sparked rumors of behind-the-scenes tensions and political pressure. The social media users were quick to realize the abrupt removal of Sardaar Ji’s 3 posts and the vanishing of Hania Aamir from Neeru Bajwa’s following list.
The action comes amidst reports that Bajwa could have been under threat from extremist Hindu groups for her work with a Pakistani artist.
The movie, starring Hania Aamir in the lead with Bajwa and Diljit Dosanjh, was filmed before the recent India-Pakistan tensions.
After the battle, several right-wing organizations in India have been said to have pressured the filmmakers into dropping Hania from the movie, threatening a boycott if they did not comply.
Despite the controversy, the filmmakers have chosen to proceed with the film’s release on June 27, but only outside India. The decision was made to protect the financial investment already made in the film and to avoid further political complications domestically.
Lead actor Diljit Dosanjh came out in favor of the producers recently, stating that, “If the filmmakers wish to release the movie abroad, I have no problem with it. They have put in a lot of money in this film, and their hard work should be appreciated,”.
The incident serves to underscore the greater difficulty that cross-border collaborations by artists are facing in the new geopolitical world.
Though no official statement has come from Neeru Bajwa or the makers regarding the social media gesture. The reaction on the part of the public implies that the row has put a cloud over what was once a highly acclaimed collaboration between Indian and Pakistani talent.
