Two days before ‘120 Bahadur’ is set to hit theatres, film production house Excel Entertainment on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that it has credited all 120 soldiers of the 13 Kumaon Regiment who fought in the 1962 Rezang La battle in the film.
The submission was made in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Sanyukt Ahir Regiment Morcha — a registered trust that advocates recognition of Ahir soldiers’ contributions in the Indian Army — along with its secretary and four others who are family members of those killed in the battle. The petition sought that the film credit the 120 soldiers who fought, with their name and photographs.
The movie had sparked wide-spread protests by the Ahir community, which claimed that the historical war drama does not adequately credit the ‘balidaan’ (sacrifice) of the 120 Ahir soldiers.
Recording the submission by producer of the film, which also stars Farhan Akhtar, a division bench of Justices Prathiba Singh and Shail Jain disposed of the petition with a direction that the petitioners may watch the movie and see the credits for themselves. If any correction in the same is required, it said such corrections will be carried out in the OTT release of the film.
The petitioners, represented by advocate Gautam Jha, had also sought that the name of the film be changed from ‘120 Bahadur’ to ‘120 Vir Ahir’. However, during the hearing on Wednesday, they did not insist on a court direction on this aspect, even as the producer’s counsel submitted that the movie has already been distributed to 1,300 screens across the country.
The petitioners — including the Sanyukt Ahir Regiment Morcha — had also filed a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court earlier this month, challenging the certification and release of the war drama. This was disposed of on November 17.
The Punjab and Haryana HC had directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to decide on the petitioners’ representation under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, within two days (by November 19), failing which the aggrieved parties would be at liberty to approach the court again.
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In the Delhi HC, the Ministry’s counsel Wednesday informed the court that it is due to take a decision on this by the end of the day.
The petitioners had accused the film of distorting historical facts and undermining the collective valour of 120 predominantly Ahir soldiers, who fought to the last man against overwhelming Chinese forces. They sought an interim stay on the film’s scheduled release on November 21, arguing that its portrayal as a “one-man heroism” tale centred on Major Shaitan Singh Bhati erases the regimental identity and sacrifices of the Ahir community.
What is the Battle of Rezang La?
Fought on November 18, 1962, during the Sino-Indian War, the battle is etched in military lore as one of the most heroic last stands.
Official records from the Ministry of Defence’s ‘History of the Conflict with China, 1962’, describe Charlie Company of the 13th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment (13 Kumaon), comprising 120 soldiers — 117 of whom were Ahirs from Haryana’s Rewari, Narnaul, Mahendragarh, and neighbouring districts — defending a vital mountain pass at 16,000 feet at sub-zero temperatures against a Chinese force outnumbering them 10-to-1.
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The company held on to the Chushul sector amid inadequate artillery and ammunition, with the Indian forces inflicting over 1,300 casualties on the enemy before being overwhelmed.
Of the 120, 114 were martyred, five were grievously wounded, and one was taken prisoner. The Chinese reportedly covered the fallen Indian soldiers with blankets in respect, a gesture later commemorated in dispatches.
