Sardaar Ji 3: Did Neeru Bajwa 'just randomly' unfollow Hania Aamir?

Diljit Dosanjh starrer Sardaar Ji 3 has been making headlines over the past couple of days following the announcement of Pakistani heartthrob Hania Aamir's retention in the movie — and its release overseas and even in Pakistan, instead of India.

However, another twist has just added to the controversy.

Neeru Bajwa, the reigning face of Indian Punjabi cinema, who also has the lead role in the hit comedy franchise, unfollowed Hania on Instagram — and the internet was quick to notice.

Even more interesting? All of Neeru’s posts about Sardaar Ji 3 seem to have quietly disappeared from her profile. No trailer clips, no posters, no promo content. Instead, her Instagram stories are now filled with back-to-back updates for Son of Sardar 2, a mainstream Bollywood film with Ajay Devgn.

So, what might be going on?

When the trailer for Sardaar Ji 3 dropped earlier this week and confirmed that the Mere Humsafar star was part of the cast, Pakistanis were thrilled but many Indians were angered.

For weeks, there had been speculation Hania was quietly dropped due to political pressure after tensions flared between Pakistan and India. But when the trailer dropped, there she was — smiling, present, and definitely still in the movie.

Given everything that’s been happening around the film — and especially Hania’s casting — it’s hard not to read more into it.

The announcement came at a time when the political climate was already tense after a brief military confrontation in May — when India launched unprovoked missile strikes and Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos.

It didn’t take long before film associations in India, especially FWICE and AICWA, came out swinging against the decision to cast Pakistani talent in an Indian production.

So, to avoid further drama, the producers tried to play it safe, deciding that Sardaar Ji 3 would not be released in India at all. Instead, they went for an overseas release.

A few days after the release details emerged, Hania also posted about the approval for Sardaar Ji 3's release in Pakistan, where the film has been getting a fair bit of love.

Fans are thrilled to see Hania sharing screen space with Diljit, and many are calling the move a big win for cross-border collaboration.

As for the Lover singer, he has kept things pretty straightforward. In a BBC interview, he said the film was shot when relations between Pakistan and India were relatively calm. He said the decision not to release in India was purely the producers' call — a business move to avoid losses, given the current environment.

But even with the overseas release, the controversy hasn’t really gone away. And that’s where Neeru's move drew the attention.

The Laung Lachi sensation has been a leading name in Punjabi cinema for years. But now, it looks like her attention is moving elsewhere. Unlike Bollywood — which dominates Indian entertainment and has a much larger, more commercial reach — the Punjabi film industry plays things a little differently. It’s more niche, and more regional, but still very influential in places like Indian Punjab, Canada, and the UK, which are home to the Punjabi diaspora.

With her new Bollywood film, Neeru seems to be focusing more on that project than Sardaar Ji 3.

So, whether it’s political pressure, brand positioning, or just plain bad timing, Neeru's social media move feels far from accidental. It might not be a full-blown fallout from Sardaar Ji 3, but it's definitely not just an unfollow. Especially, in a world where quiet moves like these often say more than big statements. And in this case, it looks like she might be choosing to prioritise Bollywood.