22 years ago, J.P. Dutta gave us Border. Little did he know that it would turn out to be a cult classic, a film that would always stay relevant and way ahead of its time. Set against the backdrop of Longewala battle from 1971 Indo-Pak war, Border - like the title suggests-? is the blood soaked legend of war and the soldiers who lost their lives while protecting their country. Truth be told, the film just gets better with every rerun.?
The film had an ensemble cast that featured a very hyper nationalist and high on machismo Sunny Deol, a young and reluctant soldier Akshaye Khanna, a suave and charming Air Force Officer Jackie Shroff and a patriotic Sunil Shetty who basically was a mama's boy.?
Here are some things about Border that we think makes it stand out among every war movie ever made:?
In an age, where Bollywood leaves no stone unturned to ride on the wave of jingoism and rake in 100s of crores, all this while glorifying war, J.P. Dutta＊s Border made sure that his film should be an appeal against it. After depicting some of the most well shot war scenes, the film＊s climax showed the reality of war when most of the soldiers lost their lives while protecting their motherland and the state of their families in the aftermath of the battle.
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Away from civilisation, we saw our soldiers in the far off brazen lands guarding the border. There was basically nothing to give them a diversion, a ray of hope or a relief that they might get a chance to see their families soon. It was all about the wait with their band of brothers. Border gave us a real portrayal of how soldiers used to bond over songs, love stories and the common ache of not seeing their loved ones for so long. Top it with a ＆Sandese aate hain＊ song and if this doesn＊t move you to tears every time you hear it, then your emotional quotient is questionable, to say the least.
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Akshaye Khanna who played Lieutenant Dharam Veer actually had the best character arc for whom life came a full circle. Eventually, he found himself stuck between his dying dad＊s promise of becoming a soldier and going back to his blind mom who didn't want him to join the army. He blamed the Indian army for losing his dad but soon realized that it＊s an honour for every soldier to die for his country. And when the moment finally came, he heroically sacrificed his life while killing the enemies to protect his beloved motherland.?
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Sunny Deol＊s character, which was based on the real life hero and Indian Army Officer Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri, promised his wife that he would definitely make it back home alive. This clearly showed the determination and excellent leadership of a true hero in winning the Battle of Longewala. Amidst minimum hope and a scathing final war, Major Kuldeep made sure that he stayed what he had always been - a believer.??
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The characters Subedar Mathura Das (Sudesh Berry) and Assistant Commandant Bhairon Singh (Sunil Shetty) like many other soldiers set the biggest example of how the life of an Army man is basically dedicated to his country. And when duty calls, nothing else matters.?
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One of the debates that＊s been going on since forever is who among these three forces is the best. Border doused this debate once and for all, as in the past we have clearly seen how each and every force has protected India from all the threats and helped us win each and every time.?
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In one of the scenes, Major Kuldeep captured one of the Pakistani soldiers. When the soldier asked them not to kill him, Major replied by saying that you will be treated like a soldier and nothing less than that which showed the real and ugly face of war.?
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Since it completes 22 years this week, it＊s only vital to have a family re-watch session of Border. Plus, weekend is just around the corner. So, grab some popcorn and keep a tissue box handy and sing along ＆Sandese aate hain＊.?