So when Dutta decided to produce its sequel 27 years later in 2024, the new captain of the film, director Anurag Singh, knew he had to tap into the same emotion which made 'Border' a blockbuster.

Apart from Sunny Deol as the connecting thread, 'Border 2' thrives on music, emotions and of course melodrama. Anurag possibly couldn't resist Sunny Bhaji's "dhai kilo ka haath" manifesting with full force. So, Sunny Deol's Lt Col Fateh Singh Kaler gets plenty of one-to-one combat scenes and some bombastic dialogues too, besides a heartrending track.

Screenplay and dialogues written by Anurag and Sumit Arora, with the story by Nidhi Dutta, 'Border 2' primarily focuses on the 1971 Indo-Pak war. With Sunny as the fulcrum, there are three new entrants in the franchise representing the three arms of our defence forces.

Diljit Dosanjh's presence in Anurag's film hardly comes as a surprise; the two have worked together in more than one film. Here, Diljit is war hero Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC, and plays him with his trademark cheekiness and devil-may-care swag.

Varun Dhawan, too, plays a solidly etched character of Major Hoshiar Singh Dahiya, PVC, from 3 Grenadiers. Ahan Shetty as Lt Cdr MS Rawat, an Indian Navy officer, makes a fine enough debut and has screen presence.

The first half of the movie establishes the emotional arcs of these three officers. While painstaking authenticity might not be the hallmark of 'Border 2', emotional connect sure is. Anurag has complete control over his emotive material and we watch most of the movie through a film of tears.

Since war scenes are spread over ground zero, water and air, no film can do justice when it opens three fronts. Battlelines are drawn in more than one sector. Anurag chooses to stay with his four principal characters, among whom Sunny shines the most. Not to say that the other actors of import like Paramvir Cheema as Subedar Nishan Singh, Anurag Arora as Subedar Ram Singh and Vansh Bhardwaj as Santram do not get due place in this war saga.

Romantic interests are provided by Sonam Bajwa, Anya Singh, but it's Medha Rana as Dhanvanti, Major Hoshiar Singh's wife, who gets an edge over others. Real emotional heft, however, comes from Mona Singh, who as Lt Col Fateh Singh's wife stands tall. Neeta Mohindra's powerful act as Nirmal's mother has some fine one-liners, exemplifying who understands war better than the soldiers' near and dear ones.

The war scenes are suitably mounted but more than strategy, we get the spirit and valour of the Indian armed forces. Undeniably, our forces deserve all the kudos for their unflinching courage under fire, but one fails to understand the need to turn our heroes into a one-man army. The amplified drama on the battlefield saps the film's believability quotient, which otherwise tugs at our heartstrings all through.

Music, both the background score by John Stewart Eduri and the songs, is the high point of the film. The now viral anthem 'Yeh mitti ke bete joh wapas na laute…' comes a little late towards the climax but is no less stirring. Sonu Nigam's emotion-drenched voice, Manoj Muntashir's moving lyrics and music by Mithoon give you goose-bumps and make your eyes moist. 'Ae jaate hue lamho' from the original 'Border' is remixed beautifully too.

If you are looking for a calm war film like 'Ikkis', which too revisited the 1971 Indo-Pak war, let it be said that 'Border 2' is not that movie. Instead, it runs on high-spirited passion, and the firepower of guns and those who wield these to defend their country. Mercifully, it does not indulge in excessive Pakistan-bashing.

In one scene, Lt Col Fateh Singh tells a Pakistani: "You too are a soldier fighting for your country. But in a war, enemy is an enemy and no quarters can be conceded." And on that count, the film establishes there is no force like the Indian armed forces.

In the film, though Diljit's Nirmal might be trying to outrun his friend Hoshiar so he can get a salute from him, the film impels you to unquestionably salute our warriors. And that thought close to the Republic Day is good enough for our vote to swing in favour of 'Border 2'.

Border is not just a line on the map, but a bulwark defended with the blood and fervour of soldiers. Stirring the right patriotic zeal, 'Border 2' is a befitting even if a little too emotionally-charged ode.