22 December,2025 07:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBR
Sudesh Berry, Akshaye Khanna, and Suniel Shetty in ‘Border’
If JP Dutta's Border (1997) chronicled the Battle of Longewala of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, its upcoming sequel Border 2 will focus on several chapters of the same war. Its subject aside, another element binds the two movies. mid-day has exclusively learnt that director Anurag Singh's drama - led by Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh, Varun Dhawan, and Ahan Shetty - will have appearances by Akshaye Khanna, Suniel Shetty, and Sudesh Berry, who played significant roles in the original.
Khanna played Second Lieutenant Dharamvir Singh Bhakhri, Suniel, Assistant Commandant Bhairon Singh Rathore, and Berry was Naib Subedar Mathura Das. In the narrative, all three characters were killed in action. A source revealed, "Since Border 2 is also set against the backdrop of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the characters from the original film will serve as their peers. Anurag and producer-writer Nidhi Dutta felt bringing the heroic characters from the 1997 war drama would make it a memorable experience. So, they incorporated this segment. The characters from the old and new films will cross paths at an event before the 1971 war begins. It's a great idea as it not only brings the father-son duo of Suniel and Ahan on screen, but also harks back to the much loved movie."
Apparently, the original plan was to shoot the sequence earlier this year in Pune. However, things did not work out due to the unavailability of combination dates of the concerned actors, and other logistics. The source added, "In November, Akshaye and Sudesh filmed their portions in Mumbai. Suniel has been shooting for a new project in which he sports a distinct look. So, his parts were shot against a green screen, and will require special effects. All three actors will be de-aged in keeping with their Border avatars."
mid-day reached out to producer Bhushan Kumar, who remained unavailable for comment.
