Thousands of cinema-goers across India may face cancellations of early morning screenings for the highly anticipated war epic Border 2. On the eve of its scheduled January 23 release, distributors and exhibitors have reported significant delays in receiving the final digital content, leaving theatre owners in a race against time to prepare for the film's debut. Sunny Deol’s ‘Border 2’: All You Need To Know About War Film Sequel With Varun Dhawan and Ahan Shetty.

Technical Delays and Delivery Hurdles

According to reports, digital delivery platforms, including UFO Moviez, have notified territorial distributors that the final "Key Delivery Messages" (KDMs) and movie files may not be available until after midnight.

The delay is attributed to the massive file size of the film. Border 2 boasts a substantial runtime of approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes. Given the high-resolution format required for modern theatres, the downloading and ingesting process can take between three to four hours per cinema, depending on local bandwidth.

The uncertainty has caused significant anxiety among industry veterans and exhibitors who have already sold out numerous early slots.

According to a report in Film Information, "Distributors of Border 2 and the cinemas which have been booked for screening the film are on tenterhooks. For even at this minute, the content of the film is not ready" With barely 10-12 hours remaining for shows to start tomorrow, there is confusion all over India about the exact status."

A formal notification sent to some theatre owners by UFO Moviez suggested that downloads might only begin as late as 6:30 AM on Friday, making the 7:00 AMand 8:00 AM shows nearly impossible to execute.

Watch the Trailer of ‘Border2’:

High Stakes Release

Despite the technical friction, Border 2 remains the most anticipated release of early 2026. The sequel to the 1997 classic features Sunny Deol reprising his role alongside a new ensemble cast including Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh.

While domestic audiences wait for the technical fix, the film has hit a different roadblock internationally. Reports indicate that Border 2 has been denied release in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, reportedly due to concerns over its depiction of sensitive historical events. ‘Border 2’ Cast Salary: Know How Much Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan and Ahan Shetty Charged for the War Film.

Producers have not yet released an official statement regarding the domestic technical delays, but industry insiders remain hopeful that the issues will be resolved by the afternoon screenings on Friday to capitalise on the Republic Day holiday weekend.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 22, 2026 10:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).