The team of ‘Border 2’ on Friday officially announced Varun Dhawan’s joining the film. The sequel to the 1997 hit film stars Sunny Deol in the lead role. Sunny made the announcement on social media when he posted a clip with Varun’s voice in the background.

,I face every bullet of the enemy by saying Jai Hind, when Mother Earth calls, I leave everything and come” he says in the video. The post further revealed that the film is set to release during the Republic Day weekend, January 23, 2026. There has been speculation for a while about Varun’s inclusion in the film produced by JP Dutta and Nidhi Dutta. It is going to be the first war-drama of the actor’s career.

Earlier, several reports suggested that Ayushmann Khurrana had agreed to play a soldier in the film. However, he later backed out citing creative issues. A Mid-Day report quoted a source as saying that he was “unsure” about his role in the film. The source said, “Ayushmann was in talks to play a soldier in the sequel. While both Ayushmann and the producers were keen to collaborate, the actor felt unsure about his position in the team led by Sunny Deol, who is a big star in his own right.”

The same report states that the makers are also keen to cast Diljit Dosanjh in the film. The popular actor-singer has now become an international sensation, and even though there is no confirmation of his presence in the film yet, he has been approached for a role in the film. The report states, “Nothing has been confirmed as of now. But Diljit has been approached by the makers. Given his strong audience base in North India, it will be a treat to see Diljit and Sunny together on screen.”

‘Border 2’ will be directed by Anurag Singh, who has previously helmed films like ‘Kesari’, ‘Punjab 1984’, ‘Jatt & Juliet’ and ‘Dil Bole Hadippa!’ The film was announced on June 13, 2024, on the completion of 27 years of ‘Border’. The makers have declared it as “India’s biggest war film”.

Meanwhile, Varun recently appeared in a cameo in ‘Stree 2’. The actor has ‘Bhediya 2’, ‘Baby John’ and an untitled film directed by his father David Dhawan in the pipeline.