27 June,2025 04:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Diljit Dosanjh and Ammy Virk
Singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh has been making headlines from the past few days after he found himself in a serious controversy. His upcoming film Sardaar Ji 3 has been receiving flak for starring Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, especially in the wake of the strained relations between India and Pakistan. Amid the ongoing controversy, there were questions raised regarding Diljit's casting in the film Border 2. Now there are numerous reports circulating on the internet regarding the actor being axed from the patriotic drama, and being replaced. On the other hand, some sources have refused these reports.
A Times of India report claims that a source close to the production told them, "Diljit only shot for 3-4 scenes. Makers were contemplating replacing the actor, as right now they can easily reshoot those scenes. The makers are directly handling this matter, and Ammy's name cropped in the discussion." The report also claims that following Diljit's exit, actor Ammy Virk has emerged as a frontrunner.
Similarly, India Today's sources told them, "Given 'Border 2' focuses on the Indian Army, the makers felt the Punjabi actor's presence would not be suitable. They also did not want the entire controversy to dilute the film and its promotions. The team will re-shoot the portion that features Diljit soon," the source said.
On the other hand, Hindustan Times reports that a 'highly placed source on the film' suggests otherwise, saying there is no such development. Sources told them, "There is no plan to replace or remove Diljit from Border 2. The announcement about his casting was made almost nine months ago, before any of the unfortunate situations had happened. Almost 40-50 per cent of the film's shooting has already been done, so making any change at this point is not possible."
For the unversed, Diljit had reportedly started filming the war film last week in Pune with the other cast members, namely Sunny Deol and Ahan Shetty.
On June 25, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) had written letters to Bhushan Kumar, the co-producer of Border 2, and actor Sunny Deol, asking them to cancel their collaboration with Diljit. However, neither of them has yet replied to the letters. When we reached out to the makers of Border 2 - Nidhi Dutta and Bhushan - our efforts weren't met with a response at the time of going to press.
FWICE President BN Tiwari noted that while the makers are yet to officially inform them of Diljit's removal, it's the only way out. He added, "If the team continues to shoot with Diljit, that would show how they are supporting his cause."
