Varun Dhawan Joins Sunny Deol in Bollywood War Epic ‘Border 2’ Cast

Varun Dhawan has joined Sunny Deol in the cast of Bollywood war epic “Border 2,” Variety has confirmed.

The film will be directed by Anurag Singh, who previously helmed the Akshay Kumar-starrer “Kesari” (2019), based on the Battle of Saragarhi where an army of 21 Sikhs fought against 10,000 Afghans in 1897.

“Border 2” is a sequel to J.P. Dutta’s 1997 blockbuster “Border,” also headlined by Deol. The original film depicted a small battalion of Indian soldiers combating a large Pakistani strike force along the Longewala border region in 1971.

Gulshan Kumar and T-Series along with J.P. Films are presenting “Border 2.” Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, J.P. Dutta, and Nidhi Dutta, the film is slated for release on Jan. 23, 2026, aligning with the Republic Day holiday.

Dhawan’s recent releases include “Bawaal” and “Bhediya,” and he is set to appear in the Prime Video series “Citadel: Honey Bunny.” Deol, on the other hand, experienced immense box office success in 2023 with “Gadar 2.”

J.P. Dutta is renowned for his specialization in war films. The first half of his career focused on stories about western India’s Rajput community, before he shifted to military-themed movies. His notable works include “LOC: Kargil” (2003), which recreated the 1999 Kargil War and “Paltan” (2018) set during the 1967 India-China border clash.

Indian cinema continues to produce war films drawing from the country’s rich military history. Recent entries in the genre include “Uri: The Surgical Strike” (2019), which focused on a skirmish with Pakistan, and the submarine drama “The Ghazi Attack” (2017).

Bollywood mainstays and rising stars have embraced roles depicting military personnel. Films such as “Shershaah” (2021), starring Sidharth Malhotra, and “Lakshya” (2004), headlined by Hrithik Roshan and Amitabh Bachchan, blend combat sequences with dramatic storylines centered on the personal lives and sacrifices of soldiers.

“Bhuj: The Pride of India” (2021) focused on a specific incident during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, “1971” (2007) depicted a prisoner of war escape story, and “Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl” (2020) was based on one of India’s first female air force pilots in combat.