Border 2 brings the lost emotions back. Your nerves murmur, “Sandese aate hai,” as the old, forgotten memories of the 1997 film hurl back into your mind. The emotions are given if you carry the sediments of the flowing stream of patriotism that the film showcased back then. You take the seat to experience it once again, galloping on the love coursing beneath your very flesh—you gaze upward to honour the brave, harbouring an enduring yearning to reject the call of war.
Three decades later, the film ignites with the same fervent ‘jazba’—it’s that untranslatable passion we usher in the country’s one of the official vernaculars. The film delivers visceral, high-octane action sequences and fierce, commanding dialogue that reverberate within you with trembling intensity. Every scene sweeps with cinematic grandeur and emotional urgency—a promise the film has kept from its very inception.
The narrative dawns against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict. Chronicling the simultaneous resistance across all three strategic fronts—terrestrial, aerial and marine. It brings together three men, Hoshiyar Singh (Varun Dhawan), Nirmaljit Singh (Diljit Dosanjh), and Mahendra Rawat (Ahan Shetty), who are forged as brothers-in-arms at an academy under the mentorship of Fateh Singh (Sunny Deol). Hoshiyar Singh serves in the Indian Army, Nirmaljit in the Indian Air Force, and Mahendra Rawat commands the naval army at the Arabian Sea. Fateh Singh leads the battalion at the border.
The nation faces vicious attacks simultaneously from all directions, and it demands the nation’s bravest army men to come in front, to give the foes their toughest battles of life. In the middle of this, we have these four warriors, who must lead their respective forces to reclaim the country’s honour. Amid the fury of the war, these four men traverse an intense emotional roller coaster—their souls ache for the tranquil embrace of their beloved ones, propose a yearning to return to the shade of safety, where peace dwells beyond the war’s ferocity. There is laughter that goes in between the fires—a moment of introspective reflection on how the country’s army men put on a smile on their faces, while taking the bullet of hatred.
The film shines thoroughly for its cast. Varun Dhawan silences his trolls with a commanding performance in the film; he proves utterly stunning in his portrayal of Hoshiyar Singh. His devotion to the craft radiates with conviction, his presence shrouded in dignified valour that commands the screen. Sunny Deol is the OG always. His untamed and merciless cry to wipe out foes is enough to make the theatres echo. Ahan Shetty shines in and out. Diljit Dosanjh never fails to surprise.
A recollection to witness this on the birthday anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose.
Helmed by Anurag Singh, the film is produced by T-Series Films and J. P. Films. Watch Border 2 in your nearby cinemas.
IWMBuzz rates 4/5 stars.
