Border 1997

Set in the tense hours before the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, a small Indian outpost sits on the edge of the Rajasthan desert, awaiting a clash that will redefine the frontier. At the forward operating airbase, Wing Commander Anand Bajwa is tasked with sending Hawker Hunter ground-attack planes to support the army in the Jaisalmer sector, a mission that requires patience and speed in equal measure. Jackie Shroff brings a calm, improvisational leadership to the role, offering quiet assurance even when the odds are steep.

Nearby, Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri commands a company of the Punjab Regiment, a compact force of roughly 120 soldiers with a reputation for grit in the harsh desert. His path crosses with a capable young officer, Dharamvir Singh Bhan, a second lieutenant who carries the weight of his family legacy—his father, a veteran of a prior war, died in combat. Sunny Deol embodies the firm resolve and steady courage that define Kuldip’s leadership, while Akshaye Khanna portrays Dharamvir’s quiet bravery as he grows from a reluctant fighter into a frontline commander.

The border post is manned in concert with the Border Security Force, and the unit is quickly joined by the redoubtable Captain Bhairon Singh, a deeply patriotic carrier of the desert’s memory and lore. Suniel Shetty gives Bhairon a tangible warmth and loyalty that anchors the team through long, brutal hours. The unit’s defensive might is reinforced with two 105 mm Jonga-mounted guns provided by Subedar Ratan Singh, a practical, no-nonsense leader whose presence steadies the men under fire. Puneet Issar embodies that stoic reliability.

Life at Longewala is filled with routines, letters from home, and shared stories that bond the soldiers. Dharamvir reminisces about his fiancée, Kamla, a bright village girl who brought light into his days, while Bhairon recalls the intimate moment he shared with his bride, Phool Kanwar—a memory that gives him focus as danger closes in. Pooja Bhatt and Sharbani Mukherji give life to these tender threads that keep the men human even as they stand guard in the desert’s vast loneliness.

Tensions rise when a suspicious group of locals turns out to be insurgents, feeding information to the Pakistani forces. A firefight ensues, and Dharamvir takes a lethal risk to prove his resolve by confronting the intruders, a moment that forces him to confront his fear of killing and to seek reassurance from Bhairon after a horrifying firefight. The outpost’s morale tightens as the men await the larger conflict, while the radio crackles with updates about the broader war as it inches closer to their post.

The quiet is broken when the airstrike alarms fail to give them air support at night. Bajwa explains the grim reality: only daylight sorties can reverse the menace of a night assault. Kuldip, faced with an untenable choice, decides to stand his ground, trusting his men to weather the coming storm rather than abandon the post. The soldiers rally to the call, and that fateful decision becomes the crucible in which their devotion and discipline are tested.

As Pakistani forces—tanks and infantry led by the infamous commander Ghulam Dastagir—pour across the border, Longewala’s defenders improvise with mined perimeters, anti-tank weapons, and a stubborn refusal to yield. The enemy’s tanks, including Western-style armor, press forward in a desperate bid to overrun the position before dawn. The last-ditch counterattack is shaped by Kuldip’s insistence on bold action: the remaining few men, armed with rockets and grenades, launch a sweeping, dangerous assault to disrupt the invaders’ momentum. The outpost’s defenses bend, but they do not break.

The battle is brutal and costly. Das, a loyal anti-tank gunner who had earned Kuldip’s trust, is wounded saving Bhairon’s position and dies in the line of duty, a moment that darkens the post’s already heavy mood. Ratan Singh makes a final sacrifice to shield his comrades, a selfless act that cements the unit’s resolve. Bhairon himself sacrifices his own life to destroy a tank, a bold, almost mythic gesture that betrays the desert’s unflinching courage. Dharamvir, leading a valiant patrol to break through the encirclement, pays the ultimate price, his life ending amidst the smoke and sand.

With dawn breaking, the Indians hold the line long enough for Bajwa and his squadron to break through the desert’s stillness and retaliate from the skies. The airstrike destroys several more enemy tanks, turning the tide as Pakistani reinforcements falter and retreat across the border. The landmark victory at Longewala comes at a heavy price: the post’s defenders mourn their fallen and reflect on the cost of protecting their homeland, while the army prepares a broader counteroffensive that will echo across the region.

In the aftermath, the post looks toward a future carved from hard-won victory and the memories of those who gave their lives. The film closes on a solemn note of respect for sacrifice, and the enduring bond among those who stood together in one of India’s most famous desert battles.