Farhan Akhtar’s war drama 120 Bahadur is set to make exhibition history as the first film released across India’s defence theatre network, with screenings planned in over 800 cinema halls that serve soldiers, veterans and their families when it opens on 21 November. According to Variety and other trade reports, the rollout is designed as a defence-first launch that aligns the movie’s subject matter with its primary audience.
The initiative is being mounted by the producers in partnership with PictureTime’s mobile cinema network and GenSync Brat Media, using a mix of permanent and mobile defence theatres to reach cantonments and remote postings. Executives involved in the plan describe a long-standing access gap: only about 30 percent of an estimated 20 million-strong community of serving personnel, veterans and families currently has access to defence cinemas. They say the 120 Bahadur launch aims to expand that ecosystem, with exclusive screenings for the defence community ahead of wider commercial play.
Official backing has come from New Delhi as well. Days before the 63rd anniversary of the 1962 Battle of Rezang La, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled a customised “My Stamp” featuring the Rezang La War Memorial, created in association with the filmmakers to honour the 13 Kumaon Regiment soldiers who died in the battle. Farhan Akhtar, director Razneesh “Razy” Ghai and the producing team attended the event, where the stamp was presented as a tribute to Major Shaitan Singh and his men.
120 Bahadur dramatizes the stand taken by 120 soldiers of C Company, 13 Kumaon Regiment at Rezang La in Ladakh during the 1962 India-China war, a high-altitude clash remembered in military history for its near-total casualties among the Indian troops and the unit’s refusal to withdraw under overwhelming attack. The film centres on Param Vir Chakra awardee Major Shaitan Singh, with the makers promoting it as a salute to the courage of the entire company.
The project has also drawn sustained opposition from Ahir and Yadav community groups, who argue that the title and narrative framing dilute the specific role of Ahir soldiers from Haryana and neighbouring states. Protest marches in Gurugram and along the Delhi–Jaipur highway have demanded a change of title to “120 Veer Ahir” and called for boycotts if the film goes ahead in its present form.
A public interest litigation filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleges that the film distorts history by glorifying Major Shaitan Singh under a fictional name while erasing the collective identity of 113 Ahir soldiers, and seeks either a change of title, cancellation of certification or a clear label that the story is fictionalised. Police in Haryana have, in turn, registered an FIR against several protest leaders over highway blockades that disrupted traffic.
Supporters of the film’s release argue that taking 120 Bahadur directly to defence theatres through a dedicated network, including paid previews timed to the Rezang La anniversary, represents a rare instance of mainstream Hindi cinema prioritising uniformed audiences. Community organisations behind the protests insist that historical accuracy and regimental naming are non-negotiable when popular culture revisits such episodes. As the film begins its defence-circuit run on 21 November, that debate over who gets to frame the memory of Rezang La is likely to continue alongside its screenings.
