Experience A Night Of Terror in Farhan Akhtar’s “120 Bahadur”!

There was a time when India considered China not just a neighbor, but a brother. But the year 1962 made it clear that the latter did not intend to follow this brotherhood.

India’s rich history has been marked by war, bloodshed, and victory over enemies. Bollywood brings back the legacy of our braveheart martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect our motherland from invasion. This is a true story where 120 brave Indian soldiers refused to back down. They confronted, fought, and killed thousands of Chinese invaders who had entered India with the motive of capturing Jammu and Kashmir.

120 Bahadur (2025): Presenting Farhan Akhtar as Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, the Commander of the 13^th Kumaon Regiment, Charlie Company

This Hindi historical war action drama is titled “120 Bahadur”, translated as 120 Bravehearts. It made its theatrical debut on November 21, 2025. Its release marks the remembrance of our 120 courageous heroes who made the invading Chinese suffer heavy casualties, because of which they had to back down on the night of November 18, 1962. The film was written by Rajiv G. Menon, produced by Farhan Akhtar, and directed by Razneesh Ghai. It stars Farhan Akhtar as the legendary and daredevil Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who led the troop of 120 soldiers that freezing night.

The Track “Yaad Aate Hain” From 120 Bahadur

120 Bahadur (2025) Synopsis:

It was the stormy night of November 18, 1962, during the Indo-China War, when Chinese troops in thousands, who had already entered India, decided to attack and capture the Chushul valley in Ladakh, India. 5000 Chinese troops with heavy artillery and advanced war weapons marched towards the valley, killing anybody who crossed their path.

Little did they know that their dreams of conquering Jammu and Kashmir would be spoiled by the Devil himself! “Shaitan”, as we call the Devil in Hindi. As they approached the Chushul Air Base, at the Rezang La freezing mountain pass, 120 Indian soldiers from the 13^th Kumaon Regiment, led by Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, awaited them. The Indian soldiers were given a choice to leave their post. But they refused. Their only motive: Protect our motherland from the Chinese intruders.

This is a true story of unmatched courage, heroism, and the deadly confrontation of 120 lionhearted Indian soldiers against a mass troop of 5000 Chinese intruders on the stormy night of November 18, 1962. That night, our motherland’s fate was left upon the fearless Major Shaitan Singh Bhati and his “120 Bahadur”. They fought till their last breath to stop the Chinese troops from advancing any further.

120 Bahadur (2025) Official Trailer:

The Romantic Track “Naine Ra Lobhi” From 120 Bahadur: Featuring Farhan Akhtar as Major Shaitan Singh Bhati and Raashii Khanna as his wife Shagun

The Good:

Faran Akhtar, as the legendary daredevil army commander and Param Vir Chakra awardee, Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, gave his best performance. He dives deep into his leadership role with strong body language and on-screen presence. However, his voice sounded a bit jumbled, which might be due to his speech abnormality. Rest, he absolutely suited the character. He will give you a true vibe of the lionhearted Major who, along with his troops, fought a battle of their lives to save our nation that gruesome night.

The supporting cast, including Raashii Khanna as Major Shaitan Singh’s wife, Ankit Siwach, and Vivan Bhatena, have given their best efforts. However, their roles were not very prominent. Apart from Major Shaitan Singh, another prominent character with a formidable screen time was a lesser-known actor, Sparsh Walia, as the regiment’s radio operator Ramchander Yadav. Ramchander survived the night to tell the horrific story of mass massacre, bloodshed, and sacrifice.

The cinematography and sets are magnificent and realistic. Filming commenced in real locations across Ladakh’s harsh terrains with the Indian Army’s logistical support. It also depicted a detailed military manoeuvre in a punishing environment.

The Call Of Motherland India – “Main Hoon Who Dharti Maa”

The Bad:

This historical war epic pays a befitting tribute to the 120 bravehearts of the Battle of Rezang La. However, the screenplay’s presentation disappointed me. I have grown up watching patriotic war movies. So, a war film filled with patriotic emotions and drama always amazes me.

But sadly, 120 Bahadur just fails to build the emotional connection. A stronger screenplay was required to match the hype of our 120 martyred heroes. If you compare it with the 1997 war epic “Border”, which starred Sunny Deol, or even the 2003 war action drama “LOC: Kargil”, its entertainment factor is low. The makers of 120 Bahadur have tried to present the life stories of some of the prominent figures, like Major Shaitan Singh Bhati. But they have simply failed to bring out the drama and emotions associated with their characters, which could have made the audience shed tears upon their loss.

The story is hair-raising and thrilling. But extra devotion was needed in designing a more dramatic screenplay with some well-known actors. Then the emotional and melodramatic impact could have been much better.

I believe that, to keep the editing precise, the makers have missed out on major aspects of emotions and drama that are much needed in heroic war epics like this one. Moreover, the battle scenes with gunfights and bloodbaths could have been fiercer and deadlier. To be honest, a film like this deserves a runtime of more than three hours to make an emotional impact on our patriotic hearts.

Besides, 120 Bahadur raised controversies before its release. There were massive protests and boycott threats. Protestors from the Yadav community demanded their community’s name to be included in the film’s title, as our 120 brave heroes were from the Ahir Yadav community. An FIR was filed against Farhan Akhtar on accusations of downplaying the contributions of Ahir Yadavs in this historic war.

Witness A Historic Battle In 120 Bahadur!

The Verdict: To Pay True Homage To Our Martyred Heroes, Make Something Worth Remembering

If you are making a movie to pay tribute to the martyrs of our motherland, then please make it worthwhile. The film must reflect deep emotions along with the heroic and deadly battles they fought before laying down their lives for the country. That will make it a movie worth remembering.

Despite the bravest of battles that our 120 martyrs had fought to save India from the Chinese, I neither felt an emotional attachment nor the intensity of the confrontations in the movie. The movie has been made with sincerity, keeping all technical aspects in mind. But mark my words, it could have been a lot better had it been made with the dramatic and thrilling essence of Border (1997) or even LOC: Kargil (2003). Those historic war films have been engraved in our hearts. So could have 120 Bahadur.

Even though 120 Bahadur doesn’t meet up to our expectations, this war action drama does deserve your time and attention. It will make you aware of India’s forgotten history.

120 Bahadur (2025): In Honor Of The Heroes of The Battle Of Rezang La, India-China War, 1962