29 years ago, JP Dutta's Border created waves at the box office and was lauded for its immense storytelling. Depiction of real-life war films may have become quite common in today's era but in the 1990s, Border was arguably the trendsetter. Fast forward to 2026 and it is time for Border 2, the standalone sequel that is bankrolled by JP Dutta but helmed by Anurag Singh.
The film is set in the backdrop of the 1971 India-Pakistan war and the story is told through the POVs of the four protagonist characters. Sunny Deol is the only actor from Border to be a part of Border 2 but contrary to general perception, he isn't playing the same character here. In fact, Deol's Lt Col Fateh Singh Kaler is a fictional character who has been placed in a real storyline.
However, the other three protagonists in Border 2, Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya (Varun Dhawan), IAF legend Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon (Diljit Dosanjh) and Lt Cdr MS Rawat (Ahan Shetty), were all real life personalities who played a vital role during the Indo-Pak war of 1971 and the operations leading up to it.
In today's political climate where nationalism tends to sell easily, it would have been easy for the makers of Border 2 to take that route, especially with the legacy of Border as solid ammunition. Singh, who has also co-written the screenplay with Sumit Arora, ensures the patriotism flavour remains at the forefront without compromising on his conviction in the narration.
Deol may be the much senior actor but all four protagonists get reasonably strong intros and sub-plots. In fact, Dhawan gets the meatiest of the introduction sequences and arguably the strongest character arc of the four. In the days leading upto the film's release, Dhawan was the target of social media trolls after the Border 2 promos were aired.
Surprisingly, Dhawan's performance is the biggest surprise package of Border 2 and he puts in a beautifully restrained performance. Deol, meanwhile, gets a role that he revels in. The fierce leader who roars (literally and figuratively) against the opposition, Deol's energy is infectious and each of his pep talks to his soldiers pack a solid punch.
Dosanjh has a relatively easier task to do but even he has a few sequences where the performance demands mastery and to his credit, the Punjabi singer-actor seals the deal. Shetty tries his best but clearly has a long way to go as a performer. The one thing in his favour is that his strong sound helps in dialogue delivery.
Border 2 isn't entirely flawless but perhaps, is unfair to expect every patriotic film to be a Dhurandhar. Also, being a war drama means that there will be predictable sub-plots and inevitability in the war sequences. Also, some of the intended humour in the flashback sequences involving Dhawan, Dosanjh and Shetty doesn't land.
Nevertheless, the film's screenplay has a strong soul. Even with the formulaic feel to the sub-plots, the earnest performances ensure that you are invested in the proceedings. The technical side, though, could have been better. In 2026, audience expect a lot better from war films and the action sequences in Border 2 have a monotonous tone to it.
At almost 200 minutes of runtime, Border 2 is also lengthy, no doubt. It could have arguably been trimmed by about 15-20 minutes, especially with a lot of songs in the first half. However, these flaws are all covered by the strong performances and Singh's conviction in storytelling. The music also works, especially the legendary Ghar Kab Aoge and Toh Chaloon
Overall, Border 2 is a solid war drama that mostly gets its patriotism recipe right.
Film: Border 2
Director: Anurag Singh
Cast: Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, Ahan Shetty
Rating: 3.5/5