Delhi High Court rejects plea alleging distortion of history in 120 Bahadur; Farhan Akhtar’s film to release tomorrow

Delhi High Court rejects plea alleging distortion of history in 120 Bahadur; Farhan Akhtar’s film to release tomorrow

The Delhi High Court dismissed a plea seeking to halt the release of 120 Bahadur, the upcoming Farhan Akhtar–starrer based on the legendary Battle of Rezang La. The film, scheduled for a nationwide theatrical release on November 21, will now hit screens as planned.

A petition filed by a charitable trust Sanyukt Ahir Regiment Morcha along with relatives of several soldiers who fought in the 1962 battle, alleged that the film distorts historical facts and undermines the collective sacrifice of the 120 soldiers involved. The petitioners argued that the movie overly glorifies the role of Major Shaitan Singh, portrayed by Farhan Akhtar, while diminishing the contributions of other Ahir soldiers from Rewari and neighbouring regions.

While hearing the case, a bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Shail Jain declined to intervene at such a late stage. The court noted that making major changes, including title alterations or content edits, just two days before release was not feasible. Importantly, the judges acknowledged that the filmmakers had incorporated a tribute to the soldiers by listing their names at the end of the film.

The petitioners, through counsel, informed the court that they were willing to accept the film’s title if all 120 soldiers were duly acknowledged. However, the bench pointed out an ambiguity regarding whether every soldier’s name was included. They directed that the film be released as is, and advised the petitioner group to watch the film to verify the credits.

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If any omissions or corrections are identified later, these must be addressed in the OTT version, the court ordered. They clarified further that even for the OTT release, no creative changes would be allowed, only the proper names and regiments of the soldiers must be added wherever required.

Directed by Rajnees “Razy” Ghai, 120 Bahadur revisits the extraordinary bravery of Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his leadership during the Battle of Rezang La. The company he commanded, made up predominantly of 113 Ahir (Yadav) soldiers, heroically defended the Rezang La Pass, the final shield for the Chushul airfield in Ladakh.