Movie Review of Film 120 Bahadur

 The movie 120 Bahadur is a historical war drama that recounts the true story of the Battle of Rezang La during the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The film focuses on the valor of 120 soldiers from the Charlie Company of the 13 Kumaon Regiment, led by Major Shaitan Singh Bhati (played by Farhan Akhtar), who defended their post against a massive Chinese force.

Here is a summary of the general reception and key points from the reviews:

Key Strengths (Widely Praised)

• Visuals and Technical Execution: The cinematography (by Tetsuo Nagata) is consistently praised for capturing the brutal, high-altitude terrain of Ladakh and for crafting visually stunning, realistic battle sequences. The film's technical brilliance is highlighted by many.

• The Battle Sequences: The extended action-heavy climax and the depiction of the last stand are widely

  considered the film's strongest part—they are gripping, visceral, and emotionally impactful.

• Authenticity and Research: The director, Razneesh Ghai, and the team are credited with meticulous research and efforts to achieve authenticity, including shooting in real, challenging locations.

• A Sincere Tribute: Critics agree the film is a heartfelt, sincere, and stirring salute to the heroic sacrifice of the soldiers, bringing a lesser-known but significant historical battle to the forefront.

Areas of Criticism

• Pacing and First Half: A recurring criticism is that the first half is slow, ordinary, and largely an uninvolving build-up to the battle. Reviewers note the film only truly snaps to life in the second half.

• Routine Elements: The build-up scenes, including the soldier camaraderie and flashback sequences, are sometimes described as formulaic, suffering from a "been-there-done-that" feeling reminiscent of other Hindi war films like Border or Shershaah.

• Music and Dialogue: The songs and, at times, the background score were considered underwhelming, failing to provide the required "adrenaline pump." While the dialogues are earnest, some felt they occasionally fell short of evoking maximum patriotic intensity.

• Farhan Akhtar's Performance: While many found Farhan Akhtar's performance as Major Shaitan Singh Bhati to be steady, solid, and impressive in moments of quiet authority, some reviews found him less convincing in scenes requiring an authoritative, blaring army general, noting his suitability for the lead role was questionable.

Historical Context Note

• The film sparked some controversy from the Ahir community (who formed the core of the Charlie Company) before its release, with allegations that the promotional material and title might overly dramatize the story around a single hero, Major Shaitan Singh, potentially sidelining the collective sacrifice of the Ahir soldiers. However, the film is largely seen by critics as a tribute to the entire unit.

In Conclusion

120 Bahadur is generally reviewed as a technically proficient and emotionally stirring war drama that successfully immortalizes the Battle of Rezang La. While it is hampered by a routine and dull first half and underwhelming music, the final hour is universally praised for its powerful, visceral, and authentic depiction of extraordinary courage.