As Border (1997) completed 27 years of its release on June 13, it served as the perfect opportunity for leading man Sunny Deol and the makers to announce its sequel. Border 2 became a star-studded affair as Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh joined director Anurag Singh’s war drama in the following weeks. With the cast finalised and recce completed, it will soon be time for the on-screen jawans to go to the battlefield. mid-day has learnt that Singh is planning to kick off the shoot from November 25 in Jammu and Kashmir, and has charted out a five-month straight schedule up to March 2025.

Filmmaker J P Dutta’s Border offered a retelling of the Battle of Longewala, which was an important victory for India in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. This time around, the makers—including Dutta, his producer-writer daughter Nidhi Dutta and producer Bhushan Kumar—have focused on another chapter of the same war.

A source says, “The team has finalised two locations in Jammu and Kashmir, but are keeping it under wraps till the Indian Army gives its final approval for the shoot. These are sensitive regions, and the army will inform the unit where they can begin filming. Sunny, Diljit and Varun will kick off the shoot with a massive action sequence involving artillery and guns. The set-pieces are designed by action director Nick Powell, who previously worked on RRR [2022], The Last Samurai [2003], The Bourne Identity [2002], and The Mummy [1999]. After the first leg in Jammu & Kashmir, the unit will shoot in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in January 2025.”

We hear Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan has been approached for a prominent role. In October, the cast will have intensive workshops before they begin shooting. Nidhi revealed that the team has been meeting the Armed Forces for over a year, as part of the process of developing the material.

She said, “My father has always made films for and with the Armed Forces. So, we make sure the heroes’ families and the Ministry of Defence are with us on the journey.”

Confirming that Border 2 will roll soon, producer Kumar stated, “We are dedicated to crafting a powerful narrative that celebrates the bravery of our Armed Forces. Under Anurag Singh’s direction, we are set to begin filming in November. We’ll be shooting in authentic locations, ensuring that the scale and realism of this war epic will resonate with viewers.”