Ahead Of Border 2 Release, Know Real India-Pakistan War That Inspired Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna Original Film

Border 2 is going to release tomorrow. Before we go to the theatres to watch the film, it is important to revisit the real-life events that inspired the original Border - the 1997 war epic. Directed by

J P Dutta, Border was rooted in one of the most extraordinary chapters of Indian military history - historic the Battle of Longewala. A common misconception is that the 1971 India-Pakistan war was a single event. However, there were many battles being fought by Indian soldiers on several fronts. Battle of Longewala is one of those events that made us stand up and cheer for the bravery of our armed forces. The film shows courage, sacrifice, and tactical brilliance - and in the process - turned a lesser-known desert battle into a defining moment for generations of viewers.

The Battle of Longewala - Indo-Pak war that inspired Border

The original Border starring Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty and Akshaye Khanna, opens in the tense hours leading up to the official declaration of the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The film takes off from there and shows us the events that happened before and during the war.

The film is mostly based on the Battle of Longewala, fought between December 4 and 7, 1971. Located near the India-Pakistan border in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, the village of Longewala witnessed a huge mismatch of forces, which would have been a huge problem for any military force in the world. Around 120 Indian soldiers of the 23rd Battalion, Punjab Regiment, faced an advancing Pakistani force of nearly 2,000 to 3,000 troops supported by more than 40 tanks.

Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Indian soldiers chose to hold their ground instead of retreating. The forces strategically deployed their limited resources, exploiting weaknesses in Pakistan's tactics. Crucially, timely support from the Indian Air Force proved decisive. Our Hawker Hunter and HAL Marut fighter-bombers repeatedly struck Pakistani tank columns, halting the advance until reinforcements arrived.The Battle of Longewala is remembered as one of the Indian Army’s most remarkable victories in the face of overwhelming odds. The film beautifully told the story of leadership, coordination between the Army and Air Force, and the one thing Indian Army is known for - never give up attitude.

Which war is Border 2 inspired by?

Just like the original film, Border 2 is also based on one of the operations carried out by the Indian army. Operation Chengiz Khan was the code name assigned to the preemptive strikes carried out by the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) on the forward airbases and radar installations of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on the evening of December 3, 1971. It marked the beginning of hostilities of the India-Pakistan War. The operation targeted 11 of India's airfields. The main targets were the Indian Airbases of Amritsar, Ambala, Agra, Awantipur, Bikaner, Halwara, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Pathankot, Bhuj, Srinagar and Uttarlai and air defence radars at Amritsar and Faridkot.

Reportedly, even with such a wide-scale planning, Pakistan could not cause much damage to the IAF airfields. They were only able to crater the runways at Amritsar and destroy a radar station, even losing four aircrafts. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took these air strikes to be a declaration of war against India and thus began the heroic response of Indian Air Force. Our soldiers conducted initial air strikes the same night and massive retaliatory ones the next morning. As per the trailer of the film, Border 2 will show this real-life battle on-screen. Border and Border 2 both are films that show the sacrifice and valour of our forces. These are movies that should be watched with a patriot's lens. We get to live our lives comfortably because a group of brave men and women ensure our borders are safe and we are protected - the films bring us a little closer to recognising and appreciating their efforts.