120 Bahadur (2025) [Movie Review] — A heroic last stand that needed more firepower

Directed by Razneesh Ghai and written by Sumit Arora and Rajiv G. Menon, 120 Bahadur dramatizes the valiant defence mounted by the 13th Kumaon Regiment during the 1962 India–China conflict. Anchored in the unforgiving heights of Ladakh, the film foregrounds community, duty and sacrifice as it reimagines the Battle of Rezang La through the lens of soldiers drawn largely from agrarian backgrounds who are suddenly thrust into high-altitude warfare.

Story — Familiar beats, powerful premise

An underdog tale that sometimes struggles to make you feel every loss

The narrative follows Major Shaitan Singh Bhati (Farhan Akhtar) and his men as they face overwhelming odds defending a remote forward post. The core events — last stands, dwindling ammunition, and desperate close-quarter combat — are inherently cinematic and often gripping. Yet the screenplay stops short of fully mining the interior lives of the men, so while individual skirmishes and set-pieces deliver, the emotional scaffolding that would have made those sacrifices reverberate more deeply is intermittently thin. The film’s impulse to honour the collective heroism is clear, even if its emotional architecture could have been stronger.

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Direction & screenplay — Intentional, but unevenly executed

Ghai’s earnest vision is sometimes undercut by pacing and structural choices

Razneesh Ghai deserves credit for tackling a rarely filmed chapter of military history with reverence. The film’s intentions are straightforward — to remember, to humanize, and to avoid gratuitous glorification. However, the screenplay’s reliance on conventional flashbacks and formulaic backstories at times disrupts momentum rather than enhancing it. The result is a picture that swings between taut action and predictable exposition, leaving the audience moved but a bit detached from the deeper psychological toll of the campaign.

Performances — Farhan Akhtar anchors, ensemble short-changed

A committed lead and a capable supporting cast that often have little room to breathe

Farhan Akhtar brings grit and command to the role of Major Bhati, shifting his voice and physicality to inhabit a career soldier’s moral steadiness. His performance is one of the film’s steady anchors. The supporting ensemble — including Vivan Bhatena, Dhanveer Singh, Sahib Verma and others — contribute brave, grounded turns, but most are given limited arc time to develop into fully realized characters. Notably, several promising actors are left with skeletal personal histories, which curtail the audience’s emotional investment when loss arrives.

Technicals — Battle sequences shine, score and editing falter

Action that earns its tension; craft choices that sometimes blunt impact

The film’s action design and production values are among its strongest assets. The hand-to-hand skirmishes, sniper duels and defensive chaos on the rocky slopes are staged with urgency and physicality that keep you engaged. Where the film stumbles is in its editing rhythm and music choices: abrupt cuts and a relatively flat score occasionally sap scenes of their intended weight. More disciplined editing and a rousing, character-driven score might have lifted the film from sincere to searing.

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Verdict — Worth watching for its subject, but not the definitive retelling

A heartfelt, respectful war film that honours bravery but leaves you wanting more depth

120 Bahadur is commendable for bringing Rezang La’s story to a mainstream canvas and for avoiding jingoism. It offers memorable action beats and a strong central turn from Farhan Akhtar, yet it doesn’t fully translate the soldiers’ inner cost into dramatic currency. For viewers interested in Indian military history and films that spotlight courage against impossible odds, this is a moving, if imperfect, cinematic tribute. With tighter structure and deeper character work, this story could have hit with the emotional force it clearly aspires to.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10