Punjabi film Sardaar Ji 3 has achieved a historic milestone in Pakistan, earning around Rs4.5 crore (USD 500,000) on its opening day. Despite not releasing in India due to ongoing political tensions following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the film broke records to become the highest first-day grosser for any Indian film in Pakistan.
The film surpassed the opening day collection of Salman Khan’s 2016 blockbuster Sultan, which had long held the record in Pakistan. This success is even more remarkable considering the country’s struggling cinema industry, where many theatres have shut down amid inflation and a continued ban on Bollywood releases.
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Starring Diljit Dosanjh, Neeru Bajwa, and featuring Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, the movie drew large crowds, particularly in Punjab’s major urban centers. The political backlash over Aamir’s involvement and the film’s limited release created a wave of curiosity that fueled its success at the box office.
Producer Gunbir Singh Sidhu admitted that the absence of the Indian market resulted in a 40% revenue loss. Meanwhile, Dosanjh clarified that the overseas release was a strategic decision, made to recover costs after filming in the UK during better diplomatic times. The film now stands as the third-highest overseas opener for a Punjabi movie.
