Highlights
- Border 2 was written over six to eight months and kept evolving until filming
- Sumit Arora says Sunny Deol adds gravity to every line he speaks
- Many of Arora’s famous dialogues were written in Mumbai cafes
- From TV to blockbusters, his journey spans Stree, Jawan, 83 and The Family Man
- He prefers writing at night and thrives in noisy, crowded spaces
Writing Border 2 with the memory of the first film
As he waits for the release of Border 2, writer Sumit Arora says the original 1997 film shaped how he approached the sequel. He first watched Border as a child in Meerut, in a packed theatre. While writing the new film with Anurag, he tried to reconnect with what that younger version of himself felt as an audience member.
The script took about six to eight months after initial groundwork, but Arora says writing never truly stops until the scene is shot. For him, a screenplay stays alive through every stage of production.
Living up to a classic
The biggest challenge, Arora says, was honouring the legacy of the first Border. His main goal was simple: people who loved the original should leave the theatre satisfied after watching the sequel.
That meant balancing nostalgia with new emotions, while making sure the story still felt relevant.
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Writing for Sunny Deol
Knowing that his lines would be spoken by Sunny Deol changed how Arora approached dialogue. He calls it both a privilege and a responsibility.
Deol is known for powerful delivery, and Arora says every line had to live up to that reputation. He jokes that they had to make sure “the dhai kilo ka haath doesn’t feel light.” According to him, Deol naturally adds depth and authority to any line, which is why he remains an icon.
How cafes shaped his career
While many people visit cafes to relax, Arora goes there to write films. Early in his career, he spent most of his days in small cafes in Andheri, Mumbai. That is where he was noticed by producers Raj and DK while he was moving from television into films.
At one cafe, Potluck, he wrote large parts of Stree, including some of its most famous lines like “Bicky pleej!” and “Woh aaj ki stree hai, woh kuch bhi kar sakti hai.” That same space later became where he heard about The Family Man.
Different cafes mark different phases of his career. At Bagel Shop, he worked on parts of Jawan, Guns & Gulaabs and Chandu Champion. At Grey Soul, a quieter cafe, he has written sections of Border 2 and parts of his directorial debut.
He says cafes give him warmth and just enough chaos to stay focused. He does not go there to people-watch or chase inspiration, he simply needs the energy of a shared space.
Writing from life, not rituals
Unlike many writers, Arora does not rely on music, scents or routines to get into the right mood. He says his writing comes from inside, shaped by growing up in a lower-income household in Meerut, surrounded by real struggles and ambitions.
Chaos feels familiar to him, not distracting. That is why he can write even in noisy places.
One of the strangest places he ever wrote was during a 10-day silent retreat where writing was not allowed. He secretly brought a tiny notepad and, late at night under his blanket, wrote a scene that later became one of his favourites.
Nights, discipline, and daily work
Arora does not follow fixed office hours, but he believes in writing every single day. He tries to put in at least three to four hours daily, usually between midnight and 4 a.m.
If he misses a day, he says he feels uneasy, as if he has not done his duty. For him, daily writing is not optional, it is essential.
