The long-awaited “spiritual sequel” to the 1997 cult classic Border officially came into theaters, and the response is just the kind of explosions you’d expect. On its opening day (January 23), Border 2 earned a thunderous ₹30 crore net collection at the domestic box office, making it one of the biggest openers of 2026.
A feature film directed by Anurag Singh, but also timed for the weekend of Republic Day, the film reflects on the grit and valor of the 1971 India-Pakistan war. But while some of the opening numbers are a career high for younger lead players such as Varun Dhawan and Ahan Shetty, the movie is proving already to be a monster for fans of the original franchise.
Box Office Tops and Global Hurdles
Border 2 was launched with a high occupancy on all-important circuits, especially in NCR and Punjab according to industry analyst Sacnilk. The film registered an average occupancy of some 37% on its first Friday and night shows spiked to as high as 50%. With this said, it has a difficult road ahead in overseas markets.
Six Gulf countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) are said to object to release of the film because it has “anti-Pakistan” content. This is similar to the plight of the previous hit Dhurandhar, which has lost significant sums of revenue because of similar restrictions. And yet Indian trade experts feel the strong domestic sentiment will see the film through the long holiday weekend.
The verdict: Multi-front war epic
The film has had numerous awards and critics and public acclaim, and others have lauded its broad, airy look beyond the combat of Battle of Longewala in the land-based Battle of Longewala set in the original film. Border 2 covers three fronts:
- Land: Led by Varun Dhawan as Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya.
- Air: Diljit Dosanjh as the iconic Fg Offr Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon.
- Sea: Ahan Shetty as Lt Cdr M.S. Rawat.
Sunny Deol returns to the scene as the anchor for this story, playing Lt Col Fateh Singh Kaler. While the action sequences visually look sweeping, it’s Deol’s “thunderous roar” and dialogue that offer the emotional center of the film, critics have pointed out.
Production and Legacy
Border 2, written by Nidhi Dutta and co-produced with T-Series and JP Films, had a grand budget of about ₹200–300 crore. The film stars Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa and Medha Rana, special cameos from the star original cast members such as Suniel Shetty and Akshaye Khanna act as bridging between two generations. All is looking toward the Republic Day festival as the film, now, will likely crush all record-breaking previous releases in the genre.
