Poster of the film slated to hit theatres on November 21. Photo: X/@FarOutAkhtar
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (November 19, 2025) gave its nod to the release of Farhan Akhtar starrer movie ‘120 Bahadur’, closing a plea challenging its Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certification on the grounds that it distorts historical facts.
The court noted it was too late to change the name and release date of the film and that the producers have mentioned the names of the soldiers at the end of the movie in the form of a special tribute.
The court closed the petition after the counsel for the petitioner Sanyukt Ahir Regiment Morcha, a charitable trust, its trustee, and family members of many soldiers who died in the Battle of Rezang La in 1962, said they are willing to accept the title of the film if the names of all soldiers are mentioned.
The court said the petitioners may watch the movie and see the names of 120 soldiers having featured in the film and if any change or correction is required, it should be done for the over-the-top (OTT) release.
The petitioner challenged the CBFC certificate given to the film, alleging it distorts historical facts and demanded a change in the film’s name.
The movie portrays Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who was posthumously conferred the Param Vir Chakra for bravery in the Battle of Rezang La.
The petition said the battle, fought at an altitude of 18,000 feet in the Chushul sector of Ladakh, and in which 114 of the 120 soldiers were killed, is acknowledged in the History Division of the Ministry of Defence as the epitome of collective valour.
The company, composed predominantly of (113) Ahir (Yadav) soldiers from Rewari and adjoining regions, defended the Rezang La Pass – the first line of defence of the Chushul airfield with unparalleled courage and devotion to duty, it said.
The petitioners challenged the certificate and impending release of the film, which, it alleged, purports to depict the battle but distorts historical truth by singularly glorifying Major Shaitan Singh as a lone protagonist under the fictionalised name ‘Bhati’.
It said the film erases the collective identity, regimental pride and contribution of the Ahir soldiers who fought and fell beside Major Shaitan Singh.
The film is slated to hit theatres on November 21.
Published – November 19, 2025 08:02 pm IST
