New Delhi: Amid growing pressure from members of the Ahir community, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking change in the title and certification of Farhan Akhtar starrer upcoming war drama 120 Bahadur.
The petition alleges historical distortion and misrepresentation of war heroes
The petition filed by the Joint Akhir Regiment Morcha demanded that the title be changed from 120 Bahadur (also referred to as 120 Veer Bahadur in the petition) to 120 Veer Ahir. As reported by Live Law, the organization alleged that the film distorts historical facts about the 1962 Battle of Rejang La and minimizes the role of Ahir soldiers by presenting the story as the singular heroism of a fictional character, “Major Shaitan Singh Bhati”.
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However, a bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjeev Beri refused to entertain the petition, noting that the petitioners had already approached the competent authority under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act. The central government informed the court that it would take a decision on the pending review within two days, ahead of the film’s scheduled release on Friday, November 21.
According to the same report, the bench remarked, “Why are you so sensitive about what the film should be called… You have just seen the trailer, the bravery of the soldier has to be seen in a 2-hour film.”
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The petitioners had argued that both the Defense Ministry and the Central Board of Film Certification failed to ensure historical accuracy or consult relevant stakeholders, calling the certification process arbitrary and contrary to the principles laid down in landmark judgments such as Maneka Gandhi vs Union of India (1978) and Union of India vs R Gandhi (2010).
After hearing the arguments, the court disposed of the case recording that the government will immediately decide on the petitioners’ representation regarding the certification of the film.
About ‘120 Bahadur’
The filmmakers recently shared the official trailer on Instagram, describing 120 Bahadur as “based on a true story that shaped our country’s history”, and giving special thanks to Amitabh Bachchan.
The film stars Raashi Khanna, Sparsh Walia, Vivaan Bhatena, Dhanveer Singh, Digvijay Pratap, Sahib Verma, Ankit Siwach, Devendra Ahirwar, Ashutosh Shukla, Brijesh Karanwal, Atul Singh along with senior actors Ajinkya Dev and Ejaz Khan.
Directed by Rajneesh “Rezzi” Ghai and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar (Excel Entertainment), and Amit Chandra (Trigger Happy Studios), 120 Bahadur is set for theatrical release on November 21, 2025.