Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty are beaming with pride as their Republic Day release, Border 2, is striking gold at the box office. It was yet another proud moment for the Deol family as late actor Dharmendra was honoured with the second-highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan award. To celebrate the milestones, Esha Deol took to social media and turned cheerleader for brother Sunny.
Esha Deol hails Border 2 and remembers Dharmendra
Esha shared pictures showing her posing with her sister Ahana and brother Sunny at the screening of his film Border 2. They all shared smiles, with Sunny standing between the two sisters, his hands resting gently on their shoulders. This marked their first public appearance together since their father, veteran actor Dharmendra, passed away last year.
Taking to her Instagram handle, Esha Deol wrote, “Happy Republic Day. Really happy that our papa is being conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan Award.”
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Further in the post, Esha also hailed her elder brother Sunny Deol`s performance in Border 2. “Definitely watch Border 2 with your family and friends. We watched the film last night. iamsunnydeol you are the best. Shout out to @ahan.shetty @varundvn @diljitdosanjh @nidhiduttaofficial. Fantastic. Salute,” she added.
Dharmendra conferred with Padma Award
On the eve of Republic Day, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) unveiled the official list of Padma awardees for 2026. Dharmendra, who passed away on November 24, 2025, has been conferred with the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Reacting to the announcement, veteran actor-politician Hema Malini expressed pride and gratitude, saying, “So, so proud that the government has recognised Dharam ji`s immense contribution to the film industry by bestowing on him the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award.”
Dharmendra is widely regarded as one of the most iconic actors of his time. Apart from him, actors like Satish Shah, R. Madhavan, Mammootty, and Prosenjit Chatterjee, among others, have also been honoured.
About Border 2
Directed by Anurag Singh and backed by T-Series and J P Films, the film was released on January 23. It is a sequel to the 1997 film Border and revolves around the strength of the Army, Navy, and Air Force during the 1971 Battle of Longewala. The film also features Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Anyaa Singh, and Medha Rana in pivotal roles.
