Bollywood actor Sunny Deol kickstarted the promotions of his upcoming film Border 2 on Tuesday, December 16, on the occasion of Vijay Diwas. The teaser launch of the film was held in Mumbai. Joining Sunny Deol were Varun Dhawan, Ahaan Shetty, and Bhushan Kumar, while Diljit Dosanjh skipped the event.
Tuesday marked Sunny Deol's first public appearance after his father, actor Dharmendra Deol, passed away on November 24, 2025. The actor looked visibly serious as he posed for paps and photo-ops with props before entering the venue for the teaser launch. Sunny, who will reprise his role as Major Kuldip Singh from the 1997 film Border, was seen wearing a turban, a white t-shirt paired with cargo pants, and a jacket. He posed with Ahaan and Varun for the paparazzi.
Border 2 teaser launch: Sunny Deol cries during his first public appearance since Dharmendra's death
During the teaser launch, the actor delivered a dialogue from the film, growing emotional and teary-eyed. Before regaining composure, he roared into the mic, "Awaaz kahan tak jaani chaahiye? Lahore tak (Where shall the voice reach? It should reach Lahore)." His eyes welled up, and he appeared to be in pain.
Speaking at the event, Sunny praised Gen Z, highlighting their potential to uphold the nation's legacy and protect the country, just as previous generations have done. When asked about the personal meaning of patriotism, he shared his heartfelt perspective: "The country is our mother, and today's youth also considers it their mother. And they will protect it, just like their fathers, great-grandfathers did. I think even today's youth will do the same. We call it Gen Z, whatever you call it, but it is still a child."
Netizens recalled Sunny's previous outbursts at the media and paps, especially when they were stationed outside Dharmendra's residence to capture visiting celebrities. Sunny had angrily said, "Aapke ghar mein maa-baap hai, bache hai, toh phir chyo' ke tarah video bhej rahe hai. Sharam nahi aati (You have parents and children at home, yet you're shooting videos. Aren't you ashamed?)."
He had even taken steps toward the paps, intending to engage physically, but controlled himself and returned home.
Sunny Deol also lost his cool during Dharmendra's asthi visarjan in Haridwar after a paparazzo filmed the private ritual. He snatched the camera and confronted him, asking, "Paisa chahiye?"
Now, Sunny is promoting his film and actively interacting with paps and media, putting his past anger aside. This hasn't gone down well with netizens.
A user wrote, "The same guy was chasing/ and disrespecting media...know media should ignore him too. Shame on actor who disrespect fans and as soon as their movies come it's ok to take their pictures."
Border 2', the film is a sequel to 'Border', which was based on the Battle of Longewala during the India–Pakistan war of 1971.
'Border 2's focus is reportedly not just on battlefield action, but also on the emotional costs of duty, families left behind, moral dilemmas, and the psychological weight soldiers carry long after the guns fall silent. The film seeks to balance patriotism with humanity, portraying soldiers not as invincible icons, but as men bound by courage, fear, sacrifice, and brotherhood.
The film is set to release on January 23, 2026.
