When ‘Border’ actor Sunny Deol once opened up about his career choices, he made a point that still resonates today. Speaking at the trailer launch of ‘Blank’ in 2019, Sunny was asked about the rising trend of patriotic films in Bollywood. His reply was as candid as it was heartfelt. “First and foremost, are we patriotic or not? Do we love our mother, do we love our country? That is most important. It should not be taken like some kind of saleable thing,” he said, underlining that for him, cinema was never about chasing market trends.
‘Some of the films I’ve done are patriotic in nature’
Sunny reflected on his filmography, where characters were often strong, upright, and fighting for something larger than themselves—values he connected to deeply on a personal level. Border, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, and 23rd March 1931: Shaheed weren’t made to capitalize on patriotic sentiment, he explained, but because those stories spoke to his own beliefs. “That is my nature too. I am not the kind of person who gives up,” he remarked.He also noted how times had changed, pointing out that filmmaking had become increasingly driven by marketing cycles. “Some of the films I’ve done are patriotic in nature and people somehow connect with me more. It was never a saleable thing which we did. But now the whole world is changing, everything has become marketing,” he said. His words reflected not just an actor’s perspective, but also a concern about how stories were being packaged for the audience.
‘Border 2’ Independence Day poster
Cut to the present, and Sunny Deol is once again set to carry the torch of patriotism with Border 2. On India’s 79th Independence Day, the makers unveiled the first poster of the highly anticipated war drama, scheduled for release on January 22, 2026, just ahead of Republic Day.
