Mumbai, Sep 22 (IANS) Actor Puneet Issar, who was part of J.P. Dutta’s 1997 war drama Border, has opened up about the iconic film and its sequel Border 2, saying that while he enjoyed the second instalment, “the original is the original.”
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Puneet recalled the ensemble cast of the first Border, which featured Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Akshaye Khanna and Puneet Issar in pivotal roles.
“The first Border was made by J.P. Dutta, and the original is the original. It is not that the second film was not good. It was good too,” Puneet said.
Talking about Border 2, he said he watched and liked the film, while praising the performances of its cast.
“Now the people who liked the original Border, when it came for the first time, the characters were Sunny Deol, Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff, then you had Akshay Khanna, then you had Puneet Issar. I saw this too, I liked it too. In this, Sunil Shetty’s son was so good, Varun Dhawan was good. Everyone was good,” he said.
However, Puneet maintained that the original Border had a distinct place in cinema and remembered its music as one of its highlights.
“But that film was iconic, its songs were amazing. And I guess, this is what I believe, that film making is a director’s medium. And what J.P. Dutta created, it was J.P. Dutta and J.P. is JP Dutta,” he added.
Released in 1997, Border was directed by J.P. Dutta and was inspired by the Battle of Longewala during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The film starred Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Akshaye Khanna, Puneet Issar and Sudesh Berry, among others.
Nearly three decades later, Border 2 took the franchise forward with Sunny Deol returning to headline the film. Directed by Anurag Singh, the sequel also starred Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty in prominent roles. The film released theatrically in January 2026.
Puneet is now set to be seen in the upcoming crime-based series Shadyantra, where he plays the central character and serves as the main narrator. The series explores crime, mystery and conspiracy, with Puneet taking on a key role in driving the narrative.
–IANS
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