‘Bhagwan de raha hai, main le raha hoon’: Diljit Dosanjh says didn’t have money to watch Border, now starring in Border 2

Waiting for the film to finally appear on television became an event in itself. “Toh hum wait hi kar rahe the, kab aayegi aur kab dekhenge. Do-teen baar dekhi hai maine Border, kyunki yeh ek aisi film hai, mujhe lagta hai yeh humare desh ki film hai. Aur lagbhag sabne dekhi hai, isliye iska bahut shor tha (So we just kept waiting, wondering when it would finally come on TV and when we’d get to watch it. I’ve seen Border two or three times because it’s one of those films that truly feels like it belongs to our country. Almost everyone has watched it, which is why there was so much buzz around it),” he added.

Diljit also remembered how second-hand stories amplified his excitement. “Mujhe yaad hai, humare mohalle mein ek banda dekh kar aaya tha. Usne bataya tha ki matlab bahut log enjoy kar rahe the, film ka kamaal ka mahaul tha theatre mein. Toh uski baatein sunkar main bahut excited ho gaya tha ki jab bhi TV pe aayegi, main zaroor dekhunga (I remember someone from our neighbourhood had gone to watch it. He told us how people were really enjoying the film and how the atmosphere in the theatre was incredible. Listening to him made me so excited that I decided I would definitely watch it whenever it came on TV),” he said.

 

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Diljit Dosanjh on being a part of Border 2

Looking at where life has taken him now, the singer-actor expressed humility and gratitude. “Toh maine TV par dekhi. Bhaji, abhi jo meri feeling hai na, woh yeh hai ki jo Bhagwan de raha hai, main le raha hoon. Main apne aapko laayak nahi samajhta iske ki main is film ka hissa ban paoon. Lekin jo bhi Bhagwan de raha hai, uska shukr hai (So I watched it on television. Brother, the way I feel right now is that I’m simply accepting whatever God is giving me. I don’t consider myself worthy enough to be a part of a film like this, but I am grateful for whatever God has given me).”

He went on to speak about the honour of portraying a real-life hero. “Nirmal ji Singh Sekhon ji ka shukr hai ki unhone mujhe yeh mauka diya aur allow kiya ki main unka kirdaar kar sakoon. Main isko thoda alag tareeke se sochta hoon. Woh shayad sabke samajh mein na aaye, isliye main rehne deta hoon (I am thankful to Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon ji for giving me this opportunity and allowing me to portray his character. I look at it in a slightly different way, one that may not be easy for everyone to understand, so I prefer to leave it at that),” Diljit said.

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Border 2 box office collection

Meanwhile, After a strong opening and a solid boost over the Republic Day holiday, Border 2 saw a predictable dip in collections on its first Tuesday. According to Sacnilk, the film earned Rs 19.50 crore in India on Day 5, taking its total domestic collection to Rs 196.50 crore. Its worldwide earnings now stand at Rs 270.7 crore.

At the global box office, Border 2 has crossed the Rs 270 crore mark, cementing its position as one of the biggest Republic Day openers of all time and marking the second-best opening weekend of Sunny Deol’s career.

Border 3 on the cards

Adding to the excitement, producer Bhushan Kumar has confirmed that the franchise will continue with Border 3. Speaking to Hindustan Times, he said, “We are doing a joint venture (a different film) with his (Anurag Singh) company and my company. He’ll be directing, and it will be something new. Border 3 will happen in due course.”

Apart from Diljit Dosanjh, Border 2 stars Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Ahan Shetty, Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Anya Singh, and Medha Rana. Directed by Anurag Singh, the film has been produced by JP Dutta’s daughter Nidhi Dutta and Bhushan Kumar.