Punjab and Haryana HC dismisses plea to change title of Farhan Akhtar starrer 120 Bahadur

The PIL demanded that the title 120 Bahadur be changed to 120 Vir Ahir in honour of the 120 soldiers who fought in the battle.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday questioned a group of petitioners who wanted the title of Farhan Akhtar’s upcoming war film 120 Bahadur changed, asking them why they were “so sensitive about the name” before refusing to entertain the plea.

The petitioners had sought a stay on the release of the film, which is set to hit theatres on Friday, November 21.

As reported by Bar and Bench, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sheel Nagu disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that aimed to halt the movie’s release. The film tells the story of the Battle of Rezang La, one of the most celebrated chapters of the 1962 India–China war.

The PIL demanded that the title 120 Bahadur be changed to 120 Vir Ahir in honour of the 120 soldiers who fought in the battle. It also asked that the names of all 120 soldiers—114 who died in action and six who survived—be acknowledged in the film.

The petition further argued that the movie’s trailer portrayed Major Shaitan Singh as the sole hero while failing to highlight the Ahir Company and the sacrifices of other martyrs, alleging that it had “distorted historical fact and fundamental identity.”

Despite these arguments, the Court questioned why the petitioners were reacting with such sensitivity to the film’s title.

Representing Farhan Akhtar’s production banner, Excel Entertainment, advocate Jay K. Bharadwaj told the court that the petitioners had already approached the revisional authority under the Cinematograph Act.

The plea called for the suspension of the CBFC certificate and a halt to the film’s release, urging “factual corrections, change of the film’s title to 120 Vir Ahir, inclusion of all soldiers’ names, and recognition of the Ahir Company’s collective role.”

The petitioners had previously sent a legal notice to Farhan Akhtar. In reply, Bharadwaj explained that the Ministry of Defence had already approved the film for telecast on November 7, after it was cleared by the Preview Committee.

Jay further noted that the film includes a disclaimer honouring the “brave soldiers” and shows deep respect for the Indian Armed Forces. He argued that identifying soldiers by caste, community, or religion goes against Army rules, which is why the film carries the title 120 Bahadur.

He also added that the film’s title and promotional material had been available publicly for more than two months, yet the petitioners waited “at the last moment” to file their plea.