'Border 2' is out in the theatres, and amid this, let's have a look at the real-life hero, Varun Dhawan is playing in the movie! Let's have a look at Major Hoshiar Singh's life.
Border 2, the sequel to JP Dutta’s iconic 1997 blockbuster Border, has been released in the theatres on January 23, 2026. The movie has left the audience excited with the arrival announcement only, and it brought back Sunny Deol to the screens along with new-age actors like Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty.
All the actors will be playing the roles of real-life heroes from the Air Force, Army, and Navy. There had been a whole lot of buzz around the movie, and reports claimed there would be de-aged cameos by certain actors from the original, along with songs from it. Well, what grabbed the attention was Varun Dhawan's role as Major Hoshiar Singh.
Since the time the movie, Border 2, was announced, Varun Dhawan has been trolled for his role in the movie, with allegations about negative paid PR being around. People went on a meme fest, claiming Varun Dhawan to be a 'misfit' for the role. Varun's co-stars have come forward to support him, and amid this, let's have a look at the real-life hero, Major Hoshiar Singh.
Colonel Hoshiar Singh Dahiyay was born in the Haryana district, and he belonged to a Jaat family. Hoshiar Singh Dahiyay completed his school and, after one year of college, joined the Indian Army. He was commissioned in the Grenadiers Regiment of the Indian Army in 1963, and two years later, he was promoted to captain. In 1976, he became a substantive major and then became an Instructor at the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun. In 1983, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and in 1988, he retired. He passed away due to a cardiac arrest back in 1998, at the age of 61. Talking about his personal life, he was married to Dhano Devi, who is reportedly still alive as of January 2026.
Colonel Hoshiar Singh Dahiyay was known for his bravery on the battlefield and for his gallantry during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. He was a recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. Recalling what happened during the Battle of Basantar, Hoshiar Singh once revealed during an interview on Subhash Choudhary's YouTube Channel that during this battle, they were tasked to enter the Pakistani border and build a bridge across the Basantar River. Hoshiar was commanding the left company as they were asked to capture the village of Jarpal, which was occupied by Pakistani forces. On December 15, 1971, they were ordered to cross the river, leading to a battle between the Indian army and Pakistani forces.
With a round of heavy fighting, after the Indian forces took control of the village, Pakistani forces surrounded them and started attacking them, with the first attack taking place on December 16. There were three rounds of attacks with heavy tanks on the same day, and with a massive fight, the Indian army was able to destroy 40-45 enemy tanks. It was during that time that Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal was martyred. For the unversed, a few weeks ago, a movie, Ikkis, was released, which was based on Arun Kehtrapal's life.
The next day, as well, the Pakistani forces fought with the Indian army from two sides. Despite this being a heavy battle, the Indian army gave an equally strong response by taking down 300-320 Pakistani soldiers. During this time, Hoshiar Singh Dahiyaya was injured, but it didn't stop him from leading the Indian army from the front row. On December 18, 1971, the Pakistani commander came with a peace offering, claiming the remains of the Pakistani soldiers and declaring that they were now backing off. For Hoshiar's gallantry, he was later awarded India's highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra.
What do you think about Varun Dhawan's role in Border 2, which is based on Major Hoshiar Singh's life?
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