120 Bahadur Controversy: Author Of The Battle Of Rezang La Bashes Farhan Akhtar Starrer Over 'Fictionalised Story', Says 'Great Opportunity Lost'

Farhan Akhtar starrer 120 Bahadur released in cinema halls on November 21. The war drama is set against the backdrop of the 1962 India-China war. 120 Bahadur features Farhan as Major Shaitan Singh and recounts the Kumaon regiment's valour during one of the most defining moments in India's military history, where 120 heroic Indian soldiers held their ground against 3,000 Chinese troops. The movie was at the center of a controversy before its release, with a plea challenging its CBFC certification on the ground that it distorts historical facts. However, Delhi HC cleared the film for nationwide release.

Also read: The Real Story Of 120 Bahadur And The Battle Of Rezang La

After its theatrical debut, while the movie has received good reviews, it is being criticised by a section of watchers and historians for alleged wrongful depiction of facts. Author Kulpreet Yadav did not hold back as he expressed his disappointment with how the story has been "fictionalised". "I watched 120 Bahadur in Delhi today and I must say I'm very disappointed. It was such a great battle and there was no need to fictionalise the story. The director and the makers have converted a team's effort into one man completely fictionalised story. I'm very disappointed as I was looking forward to the movie with great anticipation. Great opportunity lost but you are welcome to watch the film and talk about it," Kulpreet said in a video shared on X.

Also read: 120 Bahadur Early Reviews

Interestingly, Kulpreet has authored a book, titled The Battle Of Rezang La. This non-fiction piece also narrates the story of the Rezang La war in high altitudes of Leh which is depicted in Farhan's 120 Bahadur. When an X user pointed out that various claims can be made about a story depending on the viewpoint of the author, Kulpreet said, "No valour is big or small, and no community is big or small. This isn’t about community. My only point is that the script is unnecessarily fictionalised. The battle itself was powerful enough & it just needed to be told truthfully."

120 Bahadur is directed by Razneesh Ghai.