Javed Akhtar says Border 2 team asked him to write for film, he refused: ‘Make new songs or accept you can’t do same…’
Javed Akhtar, who penned the lyrics of the 1997 film Border, has revealed that the makers of Border 2 approached him to come on board for the upcoming film. Speaking with India Today, Javed said that he refused as it was “a kind of intellectual and creative bankruptcy.”
Javed Akhtar says why isn’t he a part of Border 2
Several songs from Border 2 have been unveiled, and most tracks are reworked versions of the original songs. A section of social media users wanted Javed and musician Anu Malik to be part of the film. Anu was the musician for Border. Javed said, “They did ask me to write for the film, but I refused. I really feel this is a kind of intellectual and creative bankruptcy. You have an old song, which did well, and you want to put it out again by adding something? Make new songs or else accept that you cannot do the same level of work.”
Javed talks about new songs for sequels
Javed asked about the need to recreate and shared that if a new movie can be made, new songs can be created too. “Whatever is bygone, let that be. What is the need to recreate it? We had a film before us also, which was Haqeeqat (1964). And its songs were not ordinary ones. Be it ‘Kar chale hum fida’ or ‘Main yeh sochkar uske dar se utha tha’. Those were such brilliant songs, but we didn’t use them. We wrote new ones, we made absolutely different songs, and people liked them too. You are making a movie again, so create new songs. Why are you depending on the past? You have accepted that we can’t do it. We will live with the past glory,” he added.
More about Border 2
One of the most anticipated films of 2026 is Border 2. Directed by Anurag Singh, the second instalment of the iconic film brings back Sunny Deol as the main lead, with Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty joining him to fight the enemies. It is inspired by the 1971 India-Pakistan War.
Border 2 is produced by Gulshan Kumar and T-Series in association with JP Dutta’s JP Films. The movie will hit the big screens ahead of Republic Day on January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. Mona Singh, Medha Rana, Diljit and Sonam Bajwa also feature in key roles.
