Fans of Sunny Deol may just have to wait a little longer to watch him on screen in Border 2. The actor’s much-awaited return to the franchise hits the big screen today (January 23). However, reports have claimed a delay in content delivery in many parts of the country, leading to possible cancellation of morning shows. Exhibitors have independently confirmed to HT that shows in some parts of the country are affected, but the delay is likely to be addressed and resolved by Friday morning itself.
Border 2 morning shows cancelled
Border 2, directed by Anurag Singh, is a sequel to JP Dutta’s iconic 1997 blockbuster Border. The film brings back Sunny Deol, along with a new generation of stars in Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty. The film was slated to release on January 23, ahead of the Republic Day weekend. In many parts of the country, shows as early as 7.30 and 8 AM were scheduled, given the high anticipation for the film.
However, Film Information reported that the final content of the film was not ready till late Thursday night. Delivery platforms like UFO Moviez informed theatres that content will only be downloaded and ready later than expected. A senior trade person, wishing to remain anonymous, told the publication, “The content is expected by midnight… Given the content status, morning shows look very difficult.” According to the report, a WhatsApp text message from UFO Moviez stated that the download would begin at 6.30 AM. Given the film’s 192-minute runtime, it could take 3-4 hours for the film to be ready for screening. This means that 8 AM or 9 AM shows look unlikely in many parts of India.
A trade source confirmed to HT that many morning shows of the film have indeed been cancelled due to late content delivery, but added that exhibitors are confident they can start the shows by 10 AM across India.
All about Border 2
Like the first Border, the sequel is also set during the 1971 India-Pakistan War, with Diljit, Varun, and Ahan playing real-life war heroes from the Air Force, Army, and Navy, respectively. Reports state that Akshaye Khanna, Suniel Shetty, and Sudesh Berry will reprise their roles from Border in cameos that have been digitally de-aged. Border 2 is expected to take a massive opening at the box office, with figures of ₹32-35 crore floating around in the trade circles. This would make it the biggest openings of Diljit, Varun, and Ahan’s careers, while the second-biggest for Sunny after Gadar 2.
Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, J.P. Dutta, and Nidhi Dutta, the film also stars Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, and Anya Singh in pivotal roles.
