Love It or Hate It, Border 2 Gets Everyone Talking

Border 2 has arrived in cinemas to a thunderous mix of applause, criticism and impassioned debate, proving once again that war films in India rarely pass quietly. The long-awaited follow-up to J P Dutta’s iconic 1997 film Border has split opinion sharply, turning social media platforms into instant arenas of praise and pushback within hours of release.

Audience reactions have been anything but muted. Fans of large-scale patriotic cinema have rallied strongly behind the film, applauding its emotional heft, expansive battle sequences and reverence for the original. Several viewers described it as a worthy continuation that honours the legacy of Border while expanding its cinematic scope, particularly through its depiction of the 1971 Battle of Basantar.

At the centre of nearly every conversation stands Sunny Deol, whose towering screen presence has emerged as the film’s emotional anchor. Even among viewers with mixed feelings about the narrative, Deol’s performance has drawn near-universal praise. Social media posts repeatedly referred to him as the “soul” of the film, applauding his restrained intensity and gravitas — a reminder of why his association with Border still carries such weight nearly three decades on.

From Trolling to Applause

If Sunny Deol dominated admiration, Varun Dhawan emerged as one of the film’s biggest surprises. After facing skepticism and online trolling ahead of the release, Dhawan has won over a section of audiences, with some viewers even admitting they had misjudged his casting. Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty have also earned praise for their sincerity and commitment, while the ensemble cast is widely seen as complementing Deol rather than competing with him.

Director Anurag Singh (Kesari) has been credited for mounting a war film that balances scale with emotion. Viewers have praised the combat sequences for being gritty and visceral without tipping into excess, with many pointing to the interval and climax as moments that delivered genuine goosebumps.

One post summed up the sentiment succinctly: “No dull moments, no unnecessary songs, just raw emotion, action and patriotism. People stayed seated even after the end credits.”

Holding the Spirit of the Original

Border 2 is positioned as a spiritual successor rather than a direct remake, expanding the battlefield beyond land to include air and sea. Unlike fears that the sequel would lean heavily into aggressive jingoism reflective of the current political climate, many critics have noted that the film largely retains the humane undertone that defined the original.

While Pakistan remains the clear adversary — an unavoidable trope of the genre — the film stops short of letting chest-thumping nationalism overpower its narrative. Instead, it frequently returns to the cost of war: fallen soldiers, grieving families, and friendships forged long before the battlefield.

One of the film’s strongest stretches revisits the cadet training days of its central characters — Major Hoshiyar Singh Dahiya (Dhawan), Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Sekhon (Dosanjh) and Lt Commander M S Rawat (Shetty) — before they scatter to defend India’s borders across land, air and ocean.

Women in the Margins, Emotions in Focus

As with many war films, the women characters have limited screen time, but performances by Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Medha Rana and Anya Singh leave an impression. Their portrayals of waiting, fearing and hoping offer emotional counterpoints to the battlefield spectacle.

The film does falter in places, particularly in its length, with a few stretches that could have benefitted from sharper editing. Varun Dhawan’s Haryanvi accent occasionally feels laboured, and Ahan Shetty’s rawness shows. Yet strong supporting performances and emotional beats keep the narrative largely engaging.

Sunny Deol, Still Standing Tall

The film’s most crowd-pleasing moments arrive when Border’s past and present collide. Iconic imagery from the original — including Sunny Deol confronting enemy armour — is revisited with reverence. Though older and visibly weathered, Deol’s presence still commands the screen, his trademark “dhai kilo ka haath” intact and unapologetic.

Border 2 may not achieve the unchallenged cultural status of its predecessor, but it succeeds in preserving its spirit while adapting to a larger canvas and a more complex political moment. Love it or question it, the film has undeniably struck a chord.

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