Border 2 Review: Overdramatic But Watchable!

Because it treats soldiers as human, and concentrates on their emotions as much as their bravery, Border 2, probably without meaning to, speaks out against war, observes Deepa Gahlot.

When J P Dutta made Border in 1997, war films were not 'in'. The film industry had not yet opened that Pandora's box of 1971, which is providing content for films and Web series now.

Border 2, also set in 1971, like the first film, has been co-written but not directed by Dutta. Anurag Singh takes over the director's reins, and gets a considerably bigger budget and the marvels of modern technology to play with.

Amazingly, Sunny Deol still has the muscle and lung power to head another cast of young actors, looking none the worse for the wear after nearly three decades (there is some de-aging tech used).

Right at the start, he shoots down a few Pakistani interlopers into Indian territory and even dumps one over a land mine -- nobody dares mess with India's borders he declares, or they will find a Hindustani at every turn defending them.

Still, the Pakistani army brass thinks Indians are cowards and launch Operation Changez to attack India on multiple fronts on the western border, while the battle for the liberation of East Pakistan carries on at the other side of the country.

• When The Gods Smiled On India

What Border 2 Is About

The film flashes back to the National Defence Academy, which trains recruits for all three branches of the armed forces. Hoshiar Singh (Varun Dhawan), Nirmal Singh (Diljit Dosanjh) and Mahendra Rawat (Ahan Shetty) meet there, and after some initial hostility, become the best of friends, under the eye of their commander Fateh Singh (Deol).

Before going into war, violence and tragedy, the film wisely spends time in establishing the friendship between the three, with a large sprinkling of humour, and also their romances and marriages.

Mahendra is already married with a young daughter; Hoshiar goes back to fetch home the bride (Meher Rana) whose face he hasn't even seen; while a reluctant to marry Nirmal is floored by and weds a spirited woman (Sonam Bajwa).

Fateh Singh and his wife (Mona Singh) have already lost their only son to war, and he has given up on his faith in God too; the other three are looking forward to life when they are called to the front.

Through the warm interactions among the soldiers, their teasing and banter, the film shows that these men are not just killing machines -- however righteous the cause may be -- they are also human.

They rejoice when a letter brings good news, weep when it's bad. (Sandese Aate Hain and To Chaloon from the first film is repurposed here.) They support each other, despite the occasional squabbling and form cohesive units.

Why Border 2 works

The Pakistan army is better equipped, but the Indians are more courageous and sacrificing. The enemy's top brass are, as always, evil caricatures, but in a sweet and funny scene, Hoshiar encounters a callow young Pakistani soldier, and orders him to salute, which he does.

Later, when the boy is killed, it seems sad that his life was cut down at such a young age, even though he is the enemy. Nirmal's mother says at one point, that mothers on the other side must also be praying for their sons' safe return.

The battle scenes, slick and detailed as they may be, are generic in a way. Wave after wave of men willingly sacrificing their lives for the country.

The film works when it seeks to portray the tragedy of war too. The tanks, grenades, guns and bayonets are out in full force, but the little scenes work, like a man using up rationed cooking oil, to keep a lamp lit outside a temple because it was a promise. This is overdone later, however, when his blood drips into the lamp as he dies.

A soldier does not reveal the birth of his daughter to his buddy who has lost his mother and could not perform her last rites.

Because the film treats soldiers as human, and concentrates on their emotions as much as their bravery, Border 2, probably without meaning to, speaks out against war. It is such a senseless waste of life, destruction of homes and families because countries refuse to coexist in peace.

Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Mona Singh stand out amidst the crowd of actors, and their sincerity adds to the elements that makes the film watchable.