The release of India’s controversial film Border 2, which has drawn criticism for its perceived anti-Pakistan narrative, was halted on Friday, leading to the cancellation of early morning screenings across the country.
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The film, a sequel to Bollywood star Sunny Deol’s 1997 blockbuster Border, was scheduled for nationwide release amid strong anticipation. However, moviegoers were left disappointed as several cinemas failed to screen the film on time, with audiences reportedly waiting outside theatres.
According to Indian media reports, technical issues disrupted the film’s rollout, forcing cinemas to cancel shows scheduled for 7:30am and 8:00am. The delays were attributed to late delivery of the film’s digital content.
Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 features Sunny Deol alongside Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty. The film is set against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pak war and includes cameo appearances by Akshay Khanna, Suniel Shetty and Sudesh Berry, who have been digitally de-aged for their roles.
UFO Movies, the digital content provider for the film, informed cinema owners that the movie files would be delivered later than planned. In a message sent to theatre operators, the company said downloads would begin at 6:30am. Given the film’s lengthy runtime of 192 minutes, preparation for screening could take up to four hours, resulting in the cancellation of early shows.
