The eagerly anticipated sequel to J.P. Dutta's 1997 war classic Border premiered in theaters on Friday. Early reviews from viewers and industry analysts suggested a familiar blend of intense fighting, intense emotion, and patriotic themes.
Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 brings back Sunny Deol in a central role, alongside Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty. The film revisits the 1971 India–Pakistan war, expanding the battlefield canvas with aerial combat and naval elements.
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Trade and audience reactions
The movie, according to trade expert Taran Adarsh, is a big-screen extravaganza rooted in passion and military solidarity. He remarked on social media that the movie "salutes the nation as well as the armed forces," highlighting its dialogue and action design as its primary strengths.
#OneWordReview...#Border2: OUTSTANDING.
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 22, 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️½
Power. Patriotism. Pride... #Border2 makes your heart swell with pride... The film salutes the nation as well as the armed forces... STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. #Border2Review
Director #AnuragSingh delivers a thunderous,… pic.twitter.com/C5Y2SgfBje
Adarsh claims that the war scenes are produced on a large scale, with a focus on airborne missions and ground combat. Additionally, he pointed out that the movie uses action to develop character arcs and emotional significance.
Early audience responses echoed similar themes. Several viewers described the film as a throwback to mass-market patriotic cinema, with emphasis on scale, sentiment and performances. Social media posts praised the film’s dialogue and background score, while others highlighted the emotional beats tied to sacrifice and brotherhood among soldiers.
Just watched #Border2 ????REVIEW
— suraj (@MRSURAJ1782) January 22, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ / 5#Border2 brings back the soul of patriotic mass cinema with bigger scale, deeper emotions, and thunderous nationalism ????????
This is not just a film it’s an emotion-packed battlefield experience made for theatres. pic.twitter.com/7YOVaClouU
Performances under focus
Among the ensemble, Varun Dhawan’s performance drew particular attention from viewers online, with some calling his role one of the film’s strongest elements. Sunny Deol’s return to the war-genre space was also widely noted, especially for dialogue-driven moments that triggered applause in theatres, according to early reactions.
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About the film
Produced by T-Series and J.P. Dutta’s JP Films, Border 2 also stars Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Anya Singh and Medha Rana in supporting roles.
The film released nationwide on January 23.
