Border 2 EXCL: Vansh Bhardwaj Shares Fanboy Moment With Sunny Deol; Calls Trolling Against Varun 'Unnecessary'

Border 2 Vansh Bhardwaj Exclusive: Frontlined by Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty, Border 2 is officially Bollywood's first blockbuster of 2026. High on emotion, patriotism and nostalgia, the sequel has also been doing wonders at the box office. Besides the lead cast, the supporting actors - especially Vansh Bhardwaj as 'Santram' - have managed to shine bright in the film.

In an exclusive interview with Mimtaz from Filmibeat, the actor, who comes from a strong theatre background, spoke candidly about the blockbuster success of Border 2. He also opened up about his fanboy moment with Sunny Deol. In the same conversation, Vansh addressed the social media trolling and criticism his co-star Varun Dhawan faced over his casting in Border 2.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

1) Border 2 has already crossed the ₹300 crore mark and become Bollywood's first blockbuster of 2026. What's your feeling? When did it actually sink in for you that you were part of something this big?

I mean, first of all, Border is already a part of my childhood. It's connected to nostalgia. The cast - Sunny Sir is there, Varun Dhawan is there, Ahaan Shetty, and Diljit Dosanjh, of course. And on top of that, it's good to see it doing well at the box office. It's like a cherry on the cake. So, I'm really feeling great right now. When I signed the film, I knew that something big was going to happen. There was an intuition from the beginning. And the film has done well. We are also almost like we have been printed in history. So, I just hope that the coming generations, just like the way we have remembered Border for the last 30 years, will also remember it.

2) As we all know, Border 2 holds a strong emotional value for audiences, since Border 2 carries a lot of nostalgia and expectations from the original film. Did that bring any extra pressure or sense of responsibility while you were shooting?

Frankly speaking, since I was so overwhelmed that I was a part of Border, that thought never came to my mind. We were giving our best because we were a part of such a big film. So, that thought didn't come at that time.

In the space of responsibility, it was there that if you are a part of such a big film, then you have to go one step ahead of what you have done so far. You have to do better than that. Also, when you play a soldier, there is a different kind of responsibility. Your country is involved, and we see it from a different eye. So yes, in that way, there was responsibility. But in terms of the expectation that the first Border was so big and we had to cross the second one, there was no such pressure in mind. And we enjoyed working on the set.

3) Sunny Deol is known for his powerful screen presence. Was there a moment during filming where you felt truly starstruck?

Yes, absolutely. Although I don't have any sequence with Sunny sir in the film - the war is happening in different places, so there are different tracks. I am with Varun. But in the climax of the film, Sunny sir's character reaches the place where we are fighting the war, and that is after my character's death. He actually came there three days before his shoot only because he wanted to experience the space, the set, and the overall feel. So, that was a good thing. Even after doing so much, he still feels that he has to come to the set three days earlier and feel the space he is going to perform in.

He was shooting with Varun, and all of us were sitting at the monitor watching it. That moment was special because we were watching him on the monitor while he was right in front of us. The image of him that was imprinted in our minds from Border - that shout, the aggression, the passion in his eyes and voice - it all came alive. The biggest thing was his voice. We could hear his voice more clearly than the monitor. So, that was actually a fan moment.

4) Before Border 2 was released, Varun Dhawan faced a lot of trolling over his casting, with memes and criticism circulating online. As someone who worked closely with him, what were your thoughts on that phase? Do you feel audiences sometimes cross the line between criticism and unnecessary hate, especially when actors come from film families?

It's unnecessary hate. I think today's time has changed a little since social media came in. We have done our work - you should first watch the film and then comment on it. Commenting before watching the film is a little awkward. I think it didn't affect Varun that much. He knew that his performance in the film would give an answer. He still thanked everyone and requested them to let the film be released and give him a chance. And that's what happened. When the audience saw the film, they said that they were wrong. The world of social media works like that. It's part and parcel of the field and the profession we are in. These days, at the end of the day, there's a race of subscribers, followers, and views. It navigates everything. That's why a lot of people start trending, whether they mean it or not.

But I must say he (Varun) is a very chilled-out guy. He's very down to earth. He has no attitude, no ego. I mean, he has done so much work in the last 10 years. He has given some of the biggest hits, but he is still very humble. We used to play cricket when we weren't shooting. Every day, we were in the gym. I mean, we were shooting action scenes, and he did more than three times the action I did. And I know how your body feels when you do action. So whenever we used to shoot action, we used to feel sick. But every day, even after doing action sequences, he used to come to the gym. So, it's dedication. Along with that, every day he used to work on his diction because he was playing such a character with whom he is not related at all.

He is born in Bombay and Bandra and comes from a film family, while he is playing the character of Major Hoshiar Singh, who comes from a small village in Punjab, Haryana. So there was a huge distance between him and his character. Slowly, with his craft, dedication, and hard work, he reduced that gap and managed to achieve what he should have. So, he did a commendable job.

5) You were also part of another war film, Kesari. You were already familiar with the demands of a war film. What felt different or more challenging while working on Border 2, especially when it came to action, physical preparation, and shooting intense war sequences?

I think I didn't have to prep as such because I'm already into fitness. I actually relate a lot to army life, and that's because my lifestyle is very much like that. I get up at 5 every morning. I mean, it's been a practice that I've been following for so many years. It has become a part of my life. So, I don't need any extra physical preparation. It's just the mental aspect that you have to work on - the inner side of the character. The only difference is that what I was doing in Kesari and in Border, the characters were totally apart from each other.