120 Bahadur review: Farhan Akhtar-led war drama salutes bravery but lacks impact
120 Bahadur Movie Review: ‘120 Bahadur’ is an attempt to honor the bravery of the soldiers at Rezang La during the India-China war of 1962. Despite earnest performances and stunning visuals, the film fails to present a deeply touching war drama.
cast Crew
Farhan Akhtar
Producer, Director, Actor and Singer
There are some films which you cannot look at with the eyes of a normal critic. ‘120 Bahadur’ falls exactly in that category. You’ll come away knowing that this is the story of people who fought in conditions where most of them couldn’t survive even five minutes. You enter already knowing that no matter what you see on the screen, it will never come close to what happened at Rejang La in 1962. You enter wanting to be impressed, inspired, thrilled in the heart – all of it. But the thing is: despite all this context and emotional support, the movie still makes you think it could have been so much more. Or it could just be a short film or documentary to bring to life a story that deserves to be told.
The irony is that the biggest contribution to this true tribute is from Farhan Akhtar. Yes, the same man who gave us ‘Lakshya’, a film that has remained on top of the genre in recent times. And because of that legacy, you want to like him here, and melt into Major Shaitan Singh. But there is nothing. In moments when he is comfortable with his brats, the actor shines, but when he barks orders at them, the demonstrative acting fails. Farhan really tries, but the connection never clicks, which almost makes him feel wrong.
Thankfully, ‘120 Bahadur’ is saved and often lifted up by its young cast – the people who breathe life and authenticity into the film. Sparsh Walia, Ankit Siwach, Sahib Verma and Dhanvir Singh get lost in their characters so effortlessly that you forget you are watching actors, not real-life soldiers. Their camaraderie, their bickering over a piece of chocolate or spoiled food, and their little bursts of humor in the freezing hell drive the film forward. When they die in each other’s arms, you can’t do anything but cry. They really are the beating heart of ‘120 Bahadur’, and honestly they’re the reason you get through parts that otherwise feel absolutely drawn out.
You also get unexpectedly tender moments that turn straight into war cries. Like when a new recruit quietly asks, “you killed someone (Have you killed anyone)?” This question is so simple yet so loaded that it immediately humanizes the people behind the rifles. The other believes that he did not choose this life; He was pushed into it to continue the family legacy. And even in his last moments, he only wants to make his father proud.
And this is where the premise of the film becomes even more important, because ‘120 Bahadur’ is not just about a fight; It is about the India-China war of 1962, about which most of us barely know more than a chapter or two in school textbooks. Rezang La was a massacre, a miracle, a moment in history. The strange and heartbreaking thing is how many of these stories are literally buried under the snow. If the radio operator had not survived that day, perhaps we would not have known about those brave men who, apart from their courage, stopped the large Chinese army from advancing. These are stories that deserve a place not only in the history books but also in pop culture. The heroes who did not raise patriotic slogans, did not demonstrate, did not hashtag; He simply lived it, and died for it.
The film’s intentions are noble, almost painful. You can tell director Rajneesh ‘Razi’ Ghai, himself an army kid, wanted to create not just a film, but a tribute. But somewhere along the way, the emotional beats start feeling engineered. Like the sudden Diwali flashback with Farhan Akhtar and Raashi Khanna, it is designed to make the audience feel more deeply about the collective sacrifice of an army family, sacrificeBut it doesn’t affect your heart beats at all, as they say. Even the song “Yaad Aate Hain”, which clearly aims to be this generation’s “Sandeshe Aate Hain”, ends up being… well, a good song – sweet, but never tear-inducing.
However, Tetsuo Nagata’s cinematography is breathtaking – and not in a glossy, touristy way. You feel the bitter cold of Ladakh, the harsh wind, the stillness of the snow which has both beauty and cruelty. For these people living in the plains, the area has become a new villain, a new battle. Towards the climax, when you see the bodies of both armies lying bleeding on the still snow, it hits you – war takes away so much. And these scenes, more than the writing, evoke the emotion the film is desperately trying to reach.
But despite the gorgeous frame, honest performances and deep respect in every scene, ‘120 Bahadur’ never reaches the heights it aims for. It doesn’t shake you the way a war movie should. You appreciate it deeply, but you don’t carry it in your chest. And the film based on one of the most heroic stands in Indian military history ultimately falls short of becoming iconic. It salutes the brave with all sincerity, but does not immortalize them.
