Javed Akhtar Slams “Creative Bankruptcy” in Bollywood, Refuses to Join Border 2

January 20, 2026 – Legendary lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has stirred a major debate in the Indian film industry after revealing why he turned down the opportunity to write for the highly anticipated sequel, Border 2. In a candid interview, the veteran writer dismissed the current trend of reworking old classics as a sign of “intellectual and creative bankruptcy.”

The controversy erupted following the recent release of the Border 2 soundtrack, which features several “reimagined” versions of iconic songs from the 1997 original. While the makers hoped to tap into nostalgia, many fans expressed disappointment, feeling the new tracks lacked the soul of the originals penned by Akhtar and composed by Anu Malik.

“Make New Songs or Accept Failure”

Speaking to the media ahead of the film’s Republic Day weekend release, Akhtar confirmed that the producers had approached him to join the project. However, he refused to participate in what he views as a decline in artistic standards.

“They did ask me to write for the film, but I refused,” Akhtar stated firmly. “I really feel this is a kind of intellectual and creative bankruptcy. You have an old song that 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.”

He challenged the industry’s reliance on past hits, arguing that filmmakers are essentially admitting they cannot create anything of equal caliber today. When met with the argument that remakes are a vital marketing tactic to trigger nostalgia, Akhtar’s response was sharp: “You create new nostalgia then.”

Lessons from the Past

To illustrate his point, Akhtar drew a parallel to the making of the original Border. He reminded critics that in 1997, the team had the legendary 1964 war film Haqeeqat as a predecessor, which featured timeless tracks like “Kar Chale Hum Fida.”

Instead of leaning on those classics to guarantee a hit, Akhtar and director J.P. Dutta chose to create entirely new poetry. This resulted in “Sandese Aate Hain,” a song that became a national anthem for soldiers and won Akhtar a National Award. “We didn’t use them [old songs]. We wrote new ones… and people liked them too,” he added.

Border 2: The New Lineup

Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 features a star-studded cast including:

• Sunny Deol (returning as Lt Col Fateh Singh Kaler)
• Varun Dhawan
• Diljit Dosanjh
• Ahan Shetty

The new soundtrack has been handled by composers like Mithoon and Vishal Mishra, with additional lyrics by Manoj Muntashir. While the film is expected to see massive box-office numbers, the absence of Javed Akhtar’s pen has left a “creative void” that many critics believe cannot be filled by remixes.