Border 2 is all set to release this Friday, January 23, and the excitement is tremendous, as evidenced by the ticket sales. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, producer Nidhi Dutta spoke about the film’s casting, how she got the idea and a lot more.
4 days are left for the release of Border 2. How do you feel?
I am nervous, excited and anxious. There are a lot of emotions that I am sure every producer goes through in the release week. Also, no matter which industry you come from, if you are trying to do something in the same field as your parent, you feel an added pressure and responsibility. After all, you want to make your parent proud. That is the main feeling within me right now as I hope my father feels proud of what we’ve done.
You are also the writer of Border 2. How did you get the idea?
I actually wrote it exactly 3 years ago, on January 22, 2023. The reason I know the exact date is because I have a voice note saved from that date! I must give credit where it's due. A couple of years ago, the late Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, invited me and dad (J P Dutta) to have a meeting with him. He gave us 22 stories of the heroes in the Army, Navy and Air Force who fought in the 1971 war. He expressed a desire that we should make films on them. My father told him, ‘General saab, I am 71. Yeh kaun banayega?’. He pointed towards me and replied, ‘Koi baat nahin, Dutta saab. Yeh bana legi’! He said it so casually and I didn’t realize that he was literally writing destiny with his words.
3 months later, we lost him in a helicopter crash. It was in the back of my head that these stories needed to be told. It was a responsibility. Nevertheless, out of those 22 stories, I picked up 3-4 stories. I did not decide to make Border 2 at that time. My primary aim was to tell these stories on celluloid. These stories turned out to be from the 1971 war; the same war that Border’s first part was from. This is why it is called Border 2, as it’s the same war; it’s just that we show different battles in the second part.
Earlier, the trend was to make sequels or second parts of recent films. Gadar 2 (2023) was a game-changer as the first part had been released 22 years ago. Did the blockbuster success of Gadar 2 give you the confidence to make Border 2 as well?
Gadar 2 was released in August 2023, while I wrote the film the same year, but in January. Hence, Border 2 was already in the works when Gadar 2 released. Also, both films are very different. Gadar 2 was a continuation of the same story. This is not a sequel per se. It is called Border 2 because the battles shown are happening simultaneously as the battles of the first part.
It was a given that Sunny Deol would play the lead in Border 2. But how did Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty come on board? Were they the only choice?
Yes, they were the first choice for their respective roles. When I came across the story and picture of Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, who by the way was the only Param Vir Chakra awardee in the history of the Indian Air Force, the only person that came to my mind was Diljit. I was so glad that he could be a part of the film. As for Varun, he was always in my mind. I remember my husband (Binoy Gandhi) had messaged him about it when I had just written it. Finally, when I wrote the character of the Naval officer, I knew it had to be Ahan. There’s a certain gait and body language that naval officers possess, which is different from the air force and army officers. Somehow, Ahan gave me the feeling that this is the role for him.
My father always says that ‘We believe we are casting a war film. But we actually aren’t. The heroes that they are playing, who are sitting up in heaven, are the ones who pick these actors’! My father believes that and so do I.
Varun Dhawan seems to have done a fine job but, on the internet, he has been criticized and mocked. What are your thoughts? Do you feel such trolling is needless?
When you see the film, you’ll know exactly what we are feeling. We have seen his performance and how hard he has worked for it. As for (online trolling) is concerned, I think everyone has their opinion. Good for them; I can’t really comment on it. I don’t know if it's true, but if vested interests actually pay to bring other people down, I hope that’s not true in a country like ours. Varun portrays a Param Vir Chakra award winner, Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya. Hence, out of respect for just that aspect, I hope people don’t actually pay to bring somebody like that down because he’s walking in the footsteps of that soldier. So, I hope people show a little more respect for that. Otherwise, people are entitled to their opinion. However, I feel the film and his performance will speak for themselves.
Has your father seen Border 2? Did he like it? I guess that must have been very important for you…
For sure. For me, that was my acid test (laughs). To answer your question, he has seen the film. The conversation we had was very personal, which I won’t speak about. All I can say is that he kept weeping and had tears in his eyes. That was my Oscar!
There have been reports that the star cast of the first Border (1997) – Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna and Sudesh Berry – will also be seen in Border 2 in cameos. Is that true?
I have no idea what you’re talking about! I have not heard these reports and so, I don’t know.
What will you do on January 23, the day the film releases? Would you like to visit single-screen cinemas?
Of course. I am waiting to go to Gaiety-Galaxy. It means a lot to me to experience the audience reaction and also see the names in the credits roll. My father has always taught me that ‘When you go and watch a film, no matter whose film it is, make sure you sit in your seat till the last credit rolls’. This is because the guy, whose name is mentioned in the very end, is probably the spot boy and he has worked the hardest on the film! This is where we come from. Hence, Friday holds a lot of emotion and expectation.
Since you have a bank of 22 tales from the late General Bipin Rawat, do you have any plans to make Border 3?
Yes, there would definitely be a Border 3, but we don’t know as of now when it’ll be made and which stories it will consist of. God willing, it will be made. God knows best!
More Pages: Border 2 Box Office Collection , Border 2 Movie Review
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