“Sandese Aayenge…”, the iconic song that triggers emotions and patriotism equally in the minds of all Indians, is back in a similar flavour with ‘Border 2’, closer to this Republic Day. Produced by J.P. Dutta and Nidhi Dutta, and directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 meets expectations well on all accounts, including action, drama, and occasional moments of fun for those who live and die for the nation. Built around the war events of 1971, where India inflicted much damage to Pakistan’s defence forces on our western front, the film highlights the collaborative bravery of India’s Army, Navy, and Air Force officers.
Border 2, towards the end of the third decade after the first edition, Border was released in 1997. Sunny Deol plays the role of Lt. Col. Fateh Singh Kaler, from the Indian Army, in this sequel. We have the younger faces of Varun Dhawan as Major Hoshiar Singh Kaler, from the Indian Army; Diljit Dosanjh as Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC, Indian Air Force, including a character of Lt. Cdr. M. S. Rawat, based on Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla, an Indian Navy officer, played by Ahan Shetty in this sequel.
Overall, the story is a good mix of action, drama, and patriotism with a little pinch of comedy too, making it a wholesome family entertainment. Sunny Deol truly rocks in his performance, both in dialogues, killer expressions, and action that is almost unstoppable. While the film begins with an action scene where Sunny is destroying the enemy, it quietly moves into the personal lives of the soldiers and their families.
Mona Singh as Simi Kaler, wife of Lt. Col. Fateh Singh Kaler, who lost their only son Captain Angad Singh (Gurmeet Sandhu) in the 1965 war, brings in great emotional moments, in one of the sequences that will bring tears in your eyes. While Fateh Singh reads the letter from Angad to Simi, the doorbell rings with news of his martyrdom. And Simi decorates Angad’s head with the Sehra (wedding chaplet worn by the groom), which she had prepared with much love, now over his coffin stirs emotions deep down, bringing into the fore the sacrifices made by our forces.
Varun Dhawan is also a lovable character, playing well as an innocent Haryanvi Jat husband and a fierce fighter as an Army officer. An excellent camaraderie among Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty is worth noting. Sonam Bajwa as Mani Sekhon, wife of Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, and Athiya Shetty is worth noting. Sonam Bajwa as Mani Sekhon, wife of Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, and Athiya Shetty as Sudha, Rawat Dhanvanti Devi Dahiya, wife of Hoshiar Singh Dahiya, and Anya Singh as Sudha, Rawat add their bit powerfully despite a much lesser screen time. Visually speaking, Border 2 is a balanced act of cinematography that gives a good amount of attention to countryside landscapes, and depiction of typical Indian villages and social environment, and not creating an excess of war scenes. Despite being a wartime drama, the action is limited towards the end of the film and carefully placed to build patriotic emotions in the storytelling.
While the background score immerses you in the film, the lyrics of Javed Akhtar and Manoj Muntashir in various songs keep you hooked to the storyline. Patriotism is the flavour of the month and the film as well, with Jai Hind echoing a number of times in many sequences throughout the film. Good watch!
Praveen Nagda, Festival Director of KidCine7A and CultureCineMA Film
