Initially, Suniel Shetty turned down the chance to star in JP Dutta’s acclaimed war epic ‘Border’, apprehensive about the director’s notorious no-nonsense style. Concerned that his own tempers might lead to creativity clashes, he almost walked away. However, after a heart-to-heart with his mother-in-law, he reconsidered and stepped into the shoes of Bhairav Singh.

Around 28 years ago JP Dutta’s war epic Border released and it’s sequel Border 2 is gearing up for release on 23rd January 2026. As nostalgia is all set to hit the big screen once again, Suniel Shetty who played the role Bhairav Singh in the first part- his old interview began to resurface on social media. Therein he revealed that he at first had rejected the film. — a role that would go on to become one of the most memorable characters in the film.Talking about it on Radio Nasha, Shetty said, ” I rejected the role because I had heard that JP Dutta was a very strict director, aur gaaliyan bhi de dete the if he got upset (he would even use abusive language if he got upset). I myself was very hot-tempered. When JP ji came to meet me, I told him, ‘I’ll get back to you.’ I then told my secretary, ‘I won’t be able to do it, kyunki usne gaali de di toh main haath uthaa dunga’ (because if he abuses me, I’ll raise my hand).”Shetty further revealed how the film eventually came back to him through family channels: “I don’t like to spoil relationships with anyone, so I thought, forget it. But JP ji was so adamant about casting me that he reached out to Bharat Shah, who knew my mother-in-law. So, through my mother-in-law, the film came back to me. She made me sit down and convinced me to do the film. I told her these are my conditions—and if any such situation arises, I’ll walk out.”Border till date remains one of the most iconic films of Shetty’s career and it is now even more closer as his son Ahan Shetty features in the sequel with Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh with Sunny Deol leading from the front.