Rajniesh Duggal backs Diljit Dosanjh over 'Sardaar Ji' 3 row: 'I don't believe he ever intended to hurt sentiments'

Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Actor Rajniesh Duggal has come out in support of Diljit Dosanjh amid the ongoing controversy surrounding “Sardaar Ji 3.”

Speaking about the backlash the singer-actor has been facing, Duggal said he doesn’t believe Diljit ever meant to hurt anyone’s sentiments, adding that his intentions were likely misunderstood. In an exclusive interview with IANS, the actor said he has always been a fan of Diljit’s work. The Wajah Tum Ho actor also mentioned that he’s happy to see the 'Udta Punjab' actor returning to “Border 2.”

He also pointed out that artists don’t always have control over everything related to their work and expressed hope that the situation would soon be resolved. Rajniesh Duggal shared, “Diljit Dosanjh is phenomenal — I’m a fan! He’s fantastic, and I don’t believe he ever intended to hurt sentiments. I’m glad he’s back in Border 2. Sometimes things are not in an artist’s control. I’m hopeful that everything will settle, and we’ll see him shine on screen once again.”

In the recent development, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has temporarily lifted its non-cooperation directive against Diljit Dosanjh. While the ban continues for his other projects, an exception has been made allowing him to work on “Border 2.” FWICE President BN Tiwari shared that the decision came after producer Bhushan Kumar personally requested the federation to let Diljit resume shooting for the upcoming war drama.

Tiwari told IANS, “If considering a request is pressure, then it can be called that. We have good relations with T-Series. We visited them four times and warned them that they could not continue with the shoot, but they kept on asking us for a chance. They were unable to find a different combination of artists for their film. When they showed their incapability, it was our duty to come up with a solution as it was our country's money at stake.”

The FWICE president further revealed that the filmmakers had requested the federation to allow Diljit to remain part of the film, as most of the shoot was already done. Replacing him at this stage would have made it challenging to recreate the same actor combination for the war drama.

--IANS

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