'Border 2' Star Ahan Shetty Opens Up On Patriotism And Carrying Forward Dad Suniel Shetty's Legacy

2026-02-04 02:49:52

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) “My respect for the armed forces has grown multifold after Border 2,” says Ahan Shetty. The actor who made his debut with Tadap in 2021, was one and a half years old when his father and actor Suneil Shetty's film Border, hit the screens.

He remembers watching it and crying when his dad's character died. Years later, he features in the sequel of the same film and has been noticed by audiences.“I fell in love with the Indian army from the original Border and the love continues till date,” he says.

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Aspiring to join the Indian Army as a child, he was drawn towards dramatics in school and decided to pursue acting as a career.“Since an actor lives several lives, I can easily say that, through my role in Border 2, I can pay tribute to the Indian armed forces.”

Learnings for his role

Ahan met several officers from the Indian armed forces while making the film.“The interesting thing is that the film isn't just about the Indian army but has all the three wings of the armed forces-the army, navy and air force plus the BSF (Border Security Forces) in its narrative and so I could meet and interact with officers from all,” he says. In fact Border's well known song Ghar Kab Aaoge was launched at Jaisalmer where BSF soldiers battle extreme weather conditions-from zero degrees Celsius in the winters to 55 degrees Celsius in summer.

Ahan learnt about life in the navy and the submarines where officers stay underwater for over 2-3 months without sunlight.”They are not allowed to do much of physical activity since there is a limited amount of oxygen. There is a lot of atmospheric pressure under the sea and the officers battle several conditions. Their families dont see them for months,” he adds.“If you know how they sleep in the submarines, you will have more respect. Sometimes there are 31 beds and more sailors, so they lie down wherever there is space-it could be next to a torpedo shaft or next to where the missiles are stacked. Comfort is the last thing in their mind."

Which is why he says that he has so much love for them that he won't stop with one role.“An actor has fame by his side eventually and these are the real heroes who don't court fame and are willing to live and die unsung. I have profound respect for them.”

Love has poured into his life across all nationalities. His recent promotions at Dragon Mart and Global Village had Pakistanis come and shower love on him.“People watched pirated versions of the film and showed love. It is heartwarming,” he adds. His father Suniel Shetty had once narrated an instance where he had stated that a whole lot of Dubai taxi drivers loved his role in Border.“They identified with the jazba-the feeling of patriotism rather than the side in which I was fighting for,” he had said.

The road ahead

What about his next role, does it have the same responsibility as this one?“My next film with Shaad Ali is an action romance and based on a real life story. This is followed by a spy thriller with Reliance, creatively directed by Ribhu Dasgupta and then a horror film.”

For an action film hero, Ahan surprisingly loves the genre of rom coms.“I'm Suneil Shetty's son and have always loved action but at the core, I enjoy rom coms like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and would like to star in one.”

What about South Indian cinema? Do we see him in Southern films as well?“I don't speak Tulu, but I am open to working in the South. I loved films such as KGF and Pushpa. Today the industries are merged and we have Indian cinema, not just Bollywood cinema.”

For a kid growing up on Border and Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, how does he see the world of his peers?“Ahaan Panday is one of the stars of my generation who has worked so hard and done so well. I am very happy for him.”

Dealing with failure

Learning early that an actor has ups and downs, Ahan is thrilled for Ranveer Singh and the success of Dhurandhar.“He has re-emerged and reclaimed his position,” he adds.

When Ahan's debut film Tadap didn't do well, he turned to his family and friends who held him together.“A lot of people write you off but my dad always told me that there will be that one Friday that will change your destiny and for me that was Border 2,” he adds.

And how did he cope during his lean days?“I went off social media for 3-4 months since the comments were hurtful. When I got back I developed the thick skin to deal with it. I am a private person. I isolate myself and either go spend time at my farmhouse in Khandala, come to Dubai to chill with friends or go to Bali with my trainer-we all have our ways to recuperate.”

And what is he looking forward to watching now?“Wuthering Heights starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi” he says. An action hero with the heart of a romantic!