Border 2 backstory: Do you know the real-life incident behind Sunny Deol’s ‘Lahore Tak’ war cry
Border 2 is one of the most-anticipated films of 2026 and is slated to hit theatres on January 23. Ahead of its release, fans are curious as well as excited to know more about the characters of the sequel. The film’s teaser was unveiled on December 16, Vijay Diwas, and instantly created a buzz among fans. But what caught netizens’ special attention was Sunny Deol’s thunderous war cry.
Sunny Deol’s war cry
The highlight of the teaser was one particular scene where Sunny Deol encourages soldiers to raise their voices so loudly that it reaches “Lahore tak.” The dialogue left the viewers in goosebumps, reviving memories of J.P. Dutta’s 1997 classic Border.
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Inspired by a real-life moment
Director Anurag Singh and Varun Dhawan, who also features in the film, revealed earlier that the viral dialogue was inspired by a real incident during the shoot.
According to T-Series, talking about the moment, Singh said, “We were shooting in NDA (National Defence Academy) at the parade ground. An instructor was training some cadets and he felt that they were not being energetic. He asked them, ‘Awaaz kyun nahin nikal rahi tumhari? Yeh awaaz kahan tak jaani chahiye?’ All the 50-100 cadets screamed in unison, ‘Lahore tak’!”
This caught the attention of the film’s team. “Suddenly, our ears stood up. We went to them and asked about it, and the instructor simply said, ‘Hum log aise hi bolte hain,’” the director recalled.
Credit goes to Varun Dhawan
While everyone liked the dialogue, it was Varun Dhawan whose persistence brought the director on board.
“Sir usually doesn’t include anything that’s not written in the script,” Dhawan said. “I kept requesting him, saying this is a real moment happening in front of us. I pleaded with him to use it, and he finally agreed to include it in the teaser.”
Then, the actor asked Sunny Deol for help, and it worked. “When Sunny sir performed it, I was standing in the line and got goosebumps,” Varun shared. “Even the trainer there remarked, ‘Awaaz pahunch hi gayi hogi.'”
About Border 2
Directed by Anurag Singh, the film is a sequel to Border and is inspired by the India–Pakistan war of 1971. It stars Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty in lead roles alongside Dhawan and Deol. Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Medha Rana and Anya Singh are also playing key roles in the film.
Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, J.P. Dutta, and Nidhi Dutta under the banners of T-Series Films and J.P. Films, Border 2 is scheduled to release on January 23, 2026.
