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Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Border 2 is currently having an impressive run at the box office, not only earning grand numbers but also receiving heaps of appreciation from the audience. Ever since its release, the film’s success has been driven by packed theatres, establishing it as one of the biggest releases right at the very start of the year. However, the celebratory mood around the war drama was not without its share of controversy.

Ahead of the film’s release, Diljit Dosanjh found himself at the centre of online backlash over his casting, sparking heated debate across social media. Despite the criticism, the actor’s performance has struck a chord with viewers, playing a key role in the film’s growing popularity and commercial triumph. Producer Bhushan Kumar has now spoken about his decision to be firm about the casting despite trolls and backlashes.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Kumar opened up not only about the success of the film but also about the varied challenges that came their way. First, talking about the success of the film, the producer mentioned that with a film like this, more than the money, what matters is the appreciation that comes in from the audience.

He said, “With a film like this, the positivity that we are getting is more important than whatever money we have put into it as producers. It is a legacy of Border. When you look at social media, and 95% of the people say ‘lived up to the expectations,’ that’s a very big high for us who have crafted this film.”

He further went on to add, “The numbers excite you because they show you not just the money, but how many people are watching and loving the film.”

Border 2, which can be conceived as a spiritual follow-up to JP Dutta’s iconic 1997 war film Border, sees Sunny Deol return to the franchise alongside a new generation of actors, including Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty. During the film’s production phase, Diljit found himself at the receiving end of intense online criticism, with sections of social media revisiting his earlier remarks on the farmers’ protests and other issues. The backlash escalated to the point where some netizens demanded his removal from the project, objecting to his casting as an Indian soldier in the film.

Remembering what it was like when Dosanjh was being continuously pulled down on social media, Kumar said, “From the beginning, when we crafted this film, Sunny sir was already there. We could not have made this film without him. Then, director Anurag Singh said Diljit should be in the film, Varun Dhawan needs to be there, and Ahan will play this character. We were lucky to get all the actors on board. We had started the film, and then this pressure came. If, because of trolls, a company like us will start replacing people, then we shouldn’t make movies.”

To this, the director of the film, Anurag Singh, who has previously worked with Dosanjh on several Punjabi projects, added, “You watch him on the screen or watch his interviews. But you don’t know him personally and what his beliefs are. So you assume something and say things. But he isn’t what you think he is.”

For those unversed, not only was Diljit criticized massively during the production of the film, but Varun Dhawan too was excessively trolled by netizens when the song ‘Sandese Aate Hain’ was released. The actor got massively trolled for his smile and was criticized a lot.