Border 2 trailer review: From roaring Sunny Deol to a hair-raising score, tbest bits of this sequel are nods to original

Border 2 stars Sunny Deol alongside Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty in the lead roles.

Border 2 trailer was unveiled yesterday (January 15) with Sunny Deol returning to face the Pakistan Army in the heavily anticipated sequel. The trailer, like the teaser, puts the veteran actor at the centre of the narrative, weaving the action around him through younger stars - Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty. And like every asset released for the film so far, it relies heavily on nostalgia, chest-thumping patriotism, and not-so-subtle nods to the original Border. And somehow, it just might work.

Border 2 trailer features Sunny Deol.

Border 2 trailer

The trailer opens with an out-there shot of Sunny’s character staring down the barrel of a Pakistani tank without as much as a hint of fear in his eyes. He then begins a speech to his men, raising his voice with every syllable in the trademark Sunny of the 90s fashion. We then meet the young heroes - one from each branch of the armed forces. Varun Dhawan is the soldier, Diljit the fighter pilot, and Ahan the navy officer. Together, they must thwart Pakistani armed forces on three fronts - on land, in the air, and in the water, if India has to win the 1971 War.

What works and what doesn't

The narrative is simple and straightforward. It is a war drama that treats war as a theatre for valour. Yes, there is the human touch, where families worry for their soldiers, and men must weigh the consequences of their actions on the battlefield. But Border 2 makes no pretence of exploring great depths in that. It is a film that unabashedly celebrates the armed forces.

But there is a sense of jaded fatigue when you watch Sunny’s speeches, followed by montages of the heroes’ introductions, family lives, and dances together in some army cantonment. It is nothing you haven’t seen before, sometimes by more refined filmmakers, often with better actors. Border 2 offers scale to compensate for the finesse, and sprinkles a dash of machismo for good measure. It has worked in the past. Sunny Deol succeeded with Gadar 2 only very recently.

A trailer must tell the audience why they should visit the theatre to see this film. The Border 2 trailer makes it clear that it won’t be award-winning performances or cutting-edge VFX that will be the draws here. It is patriotism soaked in nostalgia. The best parts about the film’s teaser are the moments that evoke the 1997 Border, including Varun kneeling in front of a tank, Diljit taking to the skies ala Jackie Shroff, and most importantly, that score. The tracks - from Hindustan Meri Jaan to Ghar Kab Aaoge - are faithful recreations, keeping the soul of the original music intact, while tweaking it for the 21st century. It shows that the makers understand that the connection with the audience will be based on Sunny’s persona and whatever links this film to Border. And that is where the score becomes central, maybe even more so than the actors.

All about the film

Border 2 is directed by Anurag Singh and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, J. P. Dutta and Nidhi Dutta. The film, also starring Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Medha Rana, and Anya Singh, releases on January 23 ahead of the Republic Day weekend.