Border 2 review: Turning war into a WWF-like drama

Though the jingoism is slightly curbed, director Anurag Singh carries forward J.P. Dutta’s legacy of grandstanding war films

Rating: (1.5 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

In 1997, filmmaker J.P. Dutta’s Border changed the grammar of Bollywood war films. Though inspired by true events, Border rode high on grandstanding and jingoism – not to forget the sympathy wave that followed the Uphaar theatre tragedy.

Twenty-nine years later, J.P. Dutta has come up with Border 2 (2026), though limited to the role of producer. It’s his daughter Nidhi who’s conceived the Border 2 story, with Kesari (2019) director Anurag Singh helming the film and co-writing with Sumit Arora. Call it fate: Sunny Deol leads Border 2 at age 68. This isn’t a spiritual successor, but a comprehensive coverage of the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Story

Land, sky, and sea – Border 2 showcases the might of the Indian Armed Forces in 1971. Sunny Deol’s Fateh Singh Kaler and Varun Dhawan’s Hoshiar Singh lead the charge on land. Ahan Shetty’s Lt. Cdr. M.S. Rawat is entrusted to thwart the enemy at sea, while Diljit Dosanjh’s Fg. Offr. Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon vows to defend Indian airspace.

Screenplay & Direction

Border 2’s opening scenes carry a subtle message to the arch-rival. In a borderline skirmish, Fateh Singh Kaler (Deol) takes out infiltrating enemies and warns the Pakistani commander across: “Never cross the border, or we’ll ensure there’s not one left.

This is followed by Hoshiar Singh (Dhawan) facing shivering young Pakistani soldiers at the Basantar riverbed, cautioning them to retreat. The message is clear: stay in your limits-and never forget where your water comes from.

All this dialoguebaazi is welcome, but the screenplay largely borders on cringe. The first half drags, with much of the screentime spent detailing the leads’ backstories. Sure, soldiers are human too – and a 199-minute runtime allows personal dives – but save for Diljit Dosanjh’s Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, the other family sagas just don’t connect. Before the call of duty arrives, Sekhon asks his mother to wish him success in dismantling the enemy. She replies, “Even they carry their mothers’ wishes – and a mother can only wish for her son’s success and safe return.”

Poor representation of personal spaces can be forgiven, but there’s no excuse for the silly portrayal of the National Defence Academy, where Border 2’s protagonists cut sorry figures in training. Ahan Shetty has age on his side but lacks intensity, while Dhawan (38) and Dosanjh (42) look too old for cadets. As Kaler puts it, these men are good but lack discipline – and the sane audience is likely to agree.

The more concerning thing is how even after all these years ,  J.P. Dutta, and now his daughter Nidhi, show little imagination by retaining shades of Border (1997) in a 2026 film. The jingoism is curbed, but Border 2 doesn’t shy from displays of faith. While the Indian Armed Forces make space for various cultures, they derive their true strength from a secular constitution.

Over the years, we’ve been astonished at how a J.P. Dutta war film often reeks of grandstanding and jingoism, this from a man whose brother Deepak was part of the Indian Air Force. He reportedly died in a MiG training crash post-1971 war.

Deepak’s name cropped up during Border (1997), with Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri vouching for him. J.P. Dutta drew inspiration from his brother’s stories and Chandpuri’s accounts to make Border. What’s stunning is how such a filmmaker built his legacy around jingoistic war films. Take Border out, but LOC Kargil (2003) and Paltan (2018) weren’t high quality. Border 2 is no LOC or Paltan, but it’s not much of an upgrade from Border either.

Performances

Call it fate: after 29 years, Sunny Deol headlines Border again, this time as Fateh Singh Kaler. His legend lies in power-packed dialogues delivered in his roaring tone. His legion of fans love it, but this dialoguebaazi now sounds like a tough officer’s training – even on the battlefield. Sunny Deol in a war film: his dialogues damage more than bullets, but the latter don’t ignite until he commands. Fathom this – in one scene, Kaler hurls a grenade inside an enemy jeep. Save the driver, the other Pakistani soldiers hop out. Our man Kaler jumps into the jeep, displaces the driver, grabs his grenade, and tosses it toward the fleeing enemy. That’s the power of Sunny paaji. He was never the most agile or nimble-footed hero, so such action always draws whistles.

Varun Dhawan makes a hard attempt at a Haryanvi accent but hardly convinces. Critique him further, and his fans (or PR machinery) will claim a smear campaign. So we leave it here.

Diljit Dosanjh copped flak for casting Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in Sardarji. Well, Border 2 should calm aggrieved fans, but the Punjabi superstar barely convinces as the real hero, Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon. The tacky aerial combat scenes don’t help either.

And what about Ahan Shetty? All the above actors played real characters. Shetty’s Lt Cdr M. S. Rawat seems modeled on Maha Vir Chakra awardee Lt Cdr Joseph Pius Alfred Noronha, who commanded INS Panvel during the 1971 Indo-Pak War’s eastern theatre. Or an officer under Noronha’s command. Well, if Shetty played Noronha outright, he would have missed emulating his father’s legacy in Border. Much like the devout Bhairon Singh (Suniel Shetty), Ahan’s Rawat is also a devotee of Devi. Not as melodramatic as Bhairon, but Ahan was perhaps chosen to deliver the ‘Maa Shakti’ line in Border 2. The Indian Armed Forces’ ethos of leaving no one behind makes it surprising to see Rawat’s colleagues abandon ship, fleeing for their lives while helplessly watching him face the enemy alone. The younger Shetty hardly makes an impression; his screentime suggests more of a cameo role.

The scope for women to shine in war films remains limited. Young Medha Rana, Anya Singh, and Mona Singh endure poorly written characters. Sonam Bajwa, though, makes it count as Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon’s wife, Manjit.

Music / Technical Aspects

Border was a cult hit, not just for its war drama but also for producing a couple of evergreen tracks. Sandese Aate Hain became like a family anthem for the Indian Armed Forces. To Chalun was a fine romantic number that wasn’t amiss in a war film. 29 years later, director Anurag Singh and composer Mithoon recreated these two tracks along with Hindustan Hindustan. Save for Mitti Ke Bete, the other original compositions don’t impress.

The sea and air combat are poorly crafted, with Singh and his VFX team relying on chroma to shoot the former. The long climax has its odd OTT moments, but the Army battle is fairly well choreographed. Singh and his colorist opt for a slightly dark shade, suggesting combat at dawn – this works fine as blood doesn’t spill on screen, though such tones don’t always appeal to Indian audiences.

Final Word

Indian cinema’s war films, particularly Bollywood’s, are typically told in a jingoistic manner or occasionally sympathize with the enemy. Save for Chetan Anand’s Haqeeqat (1965), the under-rated State of Siege: 26/11 (2020), and Ground Zero (2025), few offer objectivity. The Border franchise thrives on chest-thumping bravado, but to an objective eye, such cinema turns war into WWF-like drama. Here you see larger-than-life characters high on patriotism, and their words speak louder than action. The enemy is simply told, “Know your role and shut your mouth.” It’s the Great Indian Border tamasha. It sells, and it’s here to stay.

Watch the video review below.