Border 2

It’s been nearly three decades since JP Dutta’s war classic Border was released in theatres. The film was set in 1971 and highlighted the Indian Army’s brave defence at the Battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pak war. The film, over the years, earned cult status and to date is remembered for its memorable dialogues, performances and soulful music. Border also set a template for future such war films. All mounted at a big scale, all speaking of patriotism and glorifying the valour of our Armed forces. Some worked, others were mere copies, including Dutta’s film on Kargil, called LOC. 29 years on, JP Dutta returns with Border 2, this time as a producer along with his daughter Nidhi Dutta and lets Anurag Singh direct the sequel. But is Border 2 as impactful as Border? Let’s find out.

I have two core memories from the time of J.P. Dutta’s Border (1997), the era-altering Bollywood blockbuster that made national pride an innocent household emotion two years before the Kargil War. One: a talented classmate named Rohan won the singing competition the next three years in a row by nailing the anthem-coded hit “Sandese Aate Hai”. We often ended up crooning along like rogue choir vocalists. But his pre-teen voice never faltered, towering over the auditorium without needing to understand the lyrics. They were just musical words to us. The second memory is more haunting. The final montage of the film — where newly widowed women, penniless old parents and glum relatives wait in vain — left a lasting impression on me. Most of us had enjoyed the action sequences, bloodshed, martyr-like deaths and slow-mo courage up until that moment. To be hit with the sobering price of war felt like an out-of-syllabus chapter; the sadness had no sides. I did not expect a patriotic and violent war epic to close on a slightly reflective note.

It’s a tough act to follow. But between writer-director Anurag Singh and co-writer Sumit Arora, they faithfully pick the template, don’t mess with it and serve it with renewed vigour. What you would expect from Border 2: A roaring Sunny Deol, introduced in the credits as Dharmendra’s son. The sole survivor from the acting cast of the original Border returns as Lt Col Fateh Singh Kaler, the intervening years irrelevant as the invincible fighter in Sunny remains as ferocious as ever. Fateh Singh exemplifies the main characters. Fierce and fearless on the battlefield, soft and sentimental at home. With the supportive feminine presence of Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Anya Singh and Medha Rana to tug at familial strings.