Sunny Deol Pays Emotional Tribute to Late Father Dharmendra in ‘Border 2’, Fans Moved

Actor Sunny Deol has paid a heartfelt tribute to his late father, legendary actor Dharmendra, in his latest film ‘Border 2’, a gesture that has deeply moved audiences across the country.

Released in theatres on January 26, the much-anticipated sequel to the 1997 war classic has struck a patriotic chord with viewers. However, beyond its powerful narrative and stellar cast—featuring Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty—it is the film’s opening credits that have drawn special attention.

A Tribute That Touched Hearts

As the film begins, Sunny Deol’s name appears in the opening credits as:
“Sunny Deol (son of Dharamendra ji)”
—a subtle yet deeply emotional acknowledgment of his father, who passed away on November 24, 2025, at the age of 89.

The tribute instantly resonated with audiences, many of whom were seen growing emotional inside cinema halls. Social media was soon flooded with messages praising Sunny Deol for honouring his father’s legacy in such a dignified and personal manner.

The Inspiration Behind ‘Border’

In an earlier interaction during the launch of the song “Ghar Kab Aaoge”, Sunny Deol had spoken about his father’s influence on his career. He revealed that Dharmendra’s iconic 1964 film ‘Haqeeqat’ played a major role in inspiring him to take up Border.

“I was very young when I saw my father’s film Haqeeqat, and it left a deep impact on me. When I became an actor, I knew I wanted to do a film like that one day,” Sunny had said, adding that director J.P. Dutta shared the same vision for a heartfelt war story.

Dharmendra’s Final Film

Following Dharmendra’s demise, his last release ‘Ikkees’, a war film based on a true story, hit theatres. While it received appreciation for its subject, the film underperformed commercially, earning ₹41.25 crore worldwide and ₹31.5 crore net in India.

Strong Opening for ‘Border 2’

‘Border 2’ has made a promising start at the box office, collecting ₹12.5 crore through advance bookings, although this figure is around 29 per cent lower than Sunny Deol’s 2023 blockbuster ‘Gadar 2’, which had earned ₹17.5 crore in advance sales.

As audiences continue to flock to theatres, Border 2 stands not just as a war drama, but also as a son’s emotional salute to a father whose legacy shaped generations of Indian cinema.