Karachi: Controversial Indian Punjabi film Sardaar Ji 3, starring Diljit Dosanjh and Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, has achieved a record-breaking opening in Pakistan, surpassing previous box office records held by Bollywood movies.

Sardaar Ji stirred controversy in India due to the casting of Pakistani actress Aamir amid the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict. The producers didn’t release the film in India.

Released internationally on June 27, the film garnered approximately PKR 9 crore (approx USD 500,000) in Pakistan over its opening weekend, setting a new record for the highest three-day gross by an Indian film in the country.

Nadeem Mandviwalla, a prominent exhibitor and distributor who owns a multiplex in Karachi, confirmed the film’s exceptional performance.

He noted that Sardaar Ji 3 had already raked in around PKR 9 crore in its opening weekend.

“I think this is the best opening ever for any Indian or Pakistani film in our theatres,” Mandviwalla said.

Dosanjh, who plays the lead role in the film along with Canadian Indian actor Neeru Bajwa, posted clips of the response of the Pakistani audience in theatres to the film.

Mandviwalla said the success of Sardaaji was a breath of fresh air for the Pakistani entertainment industry, particularly for the cinema house owners.

“I think despite the high ticket rates and the weather, the audience has come out because of the summer school holidays and because Pakistani people still want to watch quality films on the big screen,” he said.

Cinema houses in Pakistan have been dwindling in recent years ever since a ban on the screening of Indian films in Pakistan since 2019.

Despite the ongoing ban on In