Varun Dhawan Joined by Medha Rana in Bollywood War Epic ‘Border 2’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Medha Rana has been cast as the female lead opposite Varun Dhawan in Bollywood epic “Border 2,” the follow up to J.P. Dutta’s 1997 war blockbuster “Border.”

Set in 1971, “Border” was headlined by Sunny Deol, and took place along the border region of Longewala, where a small battalion of Indian soldiers fought a large Pakistani strike force.

“Border 2” is directed by Anurag Singh who previously helmed Akshay Kumar-starring “Kesari” (2019), based on the Battle of Saragarhi in which an army of 21 Sikhs fought against 10,000 Afghans in 1897.

Gulshan Kumar and T-Series and Dutta’s J.P. Films are presenting “Border 2.” Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, J.P. Dutta and Nidhi Dutta, the film is due to release on Jan. 23, 2026, during the Republic Day holiday frame.

“Border 2” also features Deol alongside Diljit Dosanjh. Despite the title, the film is not a sequel to “Border” because its not a continuation of the earlier film, the characters are new, its a new war and Deol does not play the same character that he played in the earlier “Border,” according to the producers.

Rana’s previous credits include Amazon MX Player series “Ishq in the Air,” Netflix film “Friday Night Plan” and Voot series “London Files.” She hails from an Army family and was selected for her command of regional dialect and emotional range, according to producer Bhushan Kumar.

“It was imperative for us to find someone who could naturally embody the dialect, spirit, and rooted essence of the region,” Kumar said. “Medha impressed the team not just with her raw talent, but with her effortless command over the regional dialect and her emotional range as an actor.”

Producer Nidhi Dutta added: “‘Border 2’ is not just a film; it’s an emotion. Every choice we’ve made, from the director to the cast, is driven by our vision to tell a story that feels honest, powerful, and relevant. Medha Rana opposite actor Varun Dhawan will bring freshness and sincerity that aligns beautifully with the tone of the film.”

J.P. Dutta is Bollywood’s war specialist. During the first half of his career, he focused on stories about western India’s Rajput community and then trained his sights on military films with “Border.” His “LOC: Kargil” (2003) recreated the 1999 Kargil War and “Paltan” (2018) was set during the 1967 India-China border clash.