At the Edge of Memory: Inside "120 Bahadur," Bollywood’s New Take on Rezang La
They open on a slope so white it hurts. Wind cuts like a straight line and the camera lingers on frost-furred faces before it pulls back to reveal a ragged band of men, small against the sky. Walking out of the press screening, I still felt the cold in my throat. The film wants you to carry that chill with you. It wants you to remember a single night and the people who stood through it.
120 Bahadur is a big, deliberately crafted retelling of the Battle of Rezang La, the 1962 engagement where Charlie Company of the 13 Kumaon Regiment fought to the last man against a vastly larger force. The film, directed by Razneesh Ghai and produced by Excel Entertainment, centres on Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, played by Farhan Akhtar, and aims for spectacle and intimacy in equal measure. It was released in theatres on November 21, 2025.
Making a national story intimate
There is always a risk when cinema reaches for national memory. Stories like Rezang La are wrapped in sorrow and sanctity; any retelling will be compared to what families and communities hold as truth. This film tries to avoid the safe, broad gestures that often accompany patriotic cinema. Instead it narrows its lens. We see Shaitan Singh not as an emblem but as a man in small, precise details: clearing snow from his boots, folding letters, listening to a quiet joke from a comrade. These moments do the heavy emotional work, and they make the battlefield scenes more devastating because we already know the people involved, not just the positions they held.
The performances are anchored by Akhtar’s steady, contained turn. He does not opt for chest-thumping heroics. He gives Shaitan Singh a stoic, lived-in presence, the kind of performance that collects resonance the longer you watch. Raashii Khanna, as Shagun Kanwar, brings warmth to the home front sequences, and the supporting cast populates the company with distinct personalities, ensuring the film’s running time is not a parade of faces but a portrait of fellowship. Wikipedia lists the principal cast and the creative team, and credits Amitabh Bachchan as the narrator, which gives the film a mythic cadence at key moments.
Design and sound that place you in the pass
Visually, the film leans on crisp, austere cinematography. Many of the large-scope shots work because they are not purely decorative; they map the terrain and the impossible positioning of the defenders. There are long sequences where the camera stays with the soldiers in the trenches, and those scenes feel tactile. You register breath fogging against helmets, the scrape of wool against fabric, the metallic weight of ammunition. The score and sound design do more than swell; they carve space. When the action crescendos, the soundtrack tightens the chest rather than simply raising volume.
Critics have singled out the cinematography and score as high points, and those elements are indeed where the film’s craft most consistently pays off. Reviewers have praised how the film balances the roar of battle with quieter human moments that keep the emotional stakes grounded.
Story choices and their consequences
The film is not, however, without flaws. Where the production succeeds in atmosphere, it sometimes stumbles in narrative focus. There are stretches that try to fit too many subplots under a tight runtime. At moments the script leans on familiar beats training montages, bedside vigils, formal addresses to the troops so the originality of the film’s quieter scenes becomes more important. For viewers familiar with the history, a question will linger about what the film chooses to emphasize and what it condenses or omits.
That question spilled beyond the critic pages and into public debate. Members of the Ahir community raised objections to aspects of the film’s portrayal and name, seeking greater recognition of the soldiers they see as central to the story. The dispute led to petitions and court hearings, and while authorities cleared the film to release, the controversy remained alive in public conversation.
Box office and audience response
Opening weekend numbers were mixed. The film had a modest opening day, and then a stronger turnout the following day as word of mouth and reviews moved through urban centres. Box office trackers reported a subdued debut that gained momentum quickly, reflecting a film that might find its audience over days rather than hours. The early box office figures indicate that the film is resonating enough to maintain legs beyond the opening, but not every opening needs to be an explosion to matter.
When myth and memory meet
Movies about real battles carry an extra duty: they become, for many viewers, a primary source of memory. Families and veterans watch to find faces, to see remembered acts honored. This film approaches that duty with a mixture of reverence and cinematic appetite. It does not shy away from drama, but it also repeatedly brings viewers back to the human scale. Scenes set in village kitchens and in cramped quarters with a candle burning work as much to explain motive as they do to humanize the men who would soon be legend.
During my visit to the premiere, I spoke with a small party of veterans who had come to see the film. They watched in near silence, and when the credits rolled they spoke less about battle scenes and more about the small details how the actors handled their rifles, the rust on the helmets, the way the wind felt on screen. Those small details mattered to them, perhaps more than the broad narrative choices.
What it asks of its audience
The film asks viewers to hold two things at once. On one hand, it requests uncomplicated attention: witness these men, remember what they did. On the other, it asks for nuance: acknowledge the contested spaces around memory and representation. A cinematic retelling cannot, and should not, be the final word on history. But it can open a conversation, and in that sense 120 Bahadur functions as both monument and provocation.
There are moments of striking restraint where the camera lets silence speak. There are also sequences of unrelenting action that aim to immerse rather than illustrate. That mixture will satisfy viewers who want a visceral war film and leave historians and family members picking at the details they feel still require care.
For filmgoers and for those who remember
If you are coming to this film for spectacle, you will find it competently staged and emotionally focused. If you are coming for a definitive history lesson, you will need to pair it with archival reading and testimony from those who lived the events. The film is at its best when it refuses to flatten its characters into symbols and instead lets their small acts compile into something larger.
120 Bahadur is not a flawless memorial, but it is a film that insists on keeping memory active. It is eager to be watched, argued about, and discussed. Whether it becomes a cherished retelling or a contested interpretation will depend on how audiences, critics, and families hold it in the months ahead. For now, it has at least done the one thing all historical cinema should: brought a night in the pass back into the light and asked us to look.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was “120 Bahadur” released?
The film arrived in theatres on November 21, 2025, following a long and closely watched production cycle.
Who plays Major Shaitan Singh?
Farhan Akhtar leads the cast, portraying Major Shaitan Singh with a steady, understated performance that anchors the story.
What historical event does the film cover?
The narrative focuses on the Battle of Rezang La, fought on November 18, 1962, one of the most storied engagements in modern Indian military history.
How has the film performed at the box office so far?
It opened quietly but gained traction on the second day, showing a noticeable rise in collections as word of mouth spread.
Why has the film sparked public debate?
Some community groups objected to elements of representation and naming, leading to formal complaints and legal petitions before the film’s release.
From what I observed, the film asks its audience to linger with the men it depicts. It does not hand out tidy answers. Instead it gives us scenes to carry with us, and for a film about remembering, that may be the point.
