JP Dutta celebrates 20 years of 'Border'

The filmmaker announced his next war-drama, 'Paltan', at the bash and shared unseen stock images, bytes by the actors and archival footage from the film, which had released on June 13, 1997.
"Those were tough but emotional times and 'Border' was possible only because so many actors and technicians came together selflessly," reminisced Suniel Shetty, who played BSF jawan Bhairon Singh in the film and whose wife Mana has been Dutta's rakhi-sister for the last 20 years.Dutta's wife Bindiya recalled four-year-old Nidhi and Suniel's three-year old daughter Athiya playing on the sets.

"I was pregnant with Sidhi and Mana had just given birth to Ahaan. The fathers were on a 62-day schedule in Bikaner, shooting war sequences," she pointed out nostalgically. Suniel also informed that even today, 'Border' is screened for army officers and battalions of cadets."They cry while watching the film, specially the songs," he asserted.When Dutta handed out little trophies as mementos to his cast and crew, composer Anu Mallik was so overwhelmed he broke down, only to be enveloped in a hug by lyricist Javed Akhtar, who had bagged the National Award for 'Sandese Aate Hain'."
Everybody missed Akshaye Khanna who was 'pure raw acting energy' at the time. Pooja Bhatt, who played his lady love, raised him a cupcake online. Jackie Shroff who'd worn the uniform of Dutta's late brother Wing Commander Andy Bajwa in the film, posed with Suniel, while Sunny Deol, memorable as Major Kuldeep Singh, sent a special video message from Manali where he is shooting his son Karan's debut film.
Today, there is a luncheon at Dutta's office to commemorate the other crew, who couldn't make it to the event.