120 Bahadur Rating: 3/5 ⭐️

Up in the freezing wilds of Rezang La, where the wind feels like it’s out for blood, 120 Bahadur drags you right into a chapter of Indian history nobody talks about enough, the 1962 war with China. Farhan Akhtar, finally back in front of the camera after spending time behind it, throws himself into Major Shaitan Singh’s shoes. He plays him with this quiet, simmering fire that hangs around even after you’ve left the theater. Razneesh Ghai directs, and Excel Entertainment backs him up. This is just another war movie. It’s a rough-edged reminder that real courage usually whispers before it ever shouts.

The film kicks off with 120 men about to face off against a tidal wave of enemy soldiers in a battle most people barely remember. Akhtar’s Shaitan Singh isn’t your over-the-top, flag-waving hero. He’s stuck between doubt, duty, and the crushing weight of knowing every decision might get someone killed. Watching him go from a brooding, uncertain officer to a rock-solid leader is the heart of the movie, and Akhtar nails it with the same quiet power he showed in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Raashii Khanna, in a small but key part, brings a bit of warmth, just enough to remind you these men had lives and loves outside the trenches.

The real reason you need to see 120 Bahadur? The action. Ghai leans into his stunt background, and you feel every punch and gunshot. There’s no shiny, slow-motion nonsense, just raw, brutal fighting in a place where even the air wants you dead. The sound shakes your seat, the Ladakh scenery is both gorgeous and punishing, and you can tell the team cared about getting the details right. If you liked the edge in Uri, you’ll find that here too, but this time we’re up close and personal with the brotherhood between soldiers. You get these quiet, gut-punch moments, passing a cigarette around, scribbling desperate letters home, that pull you in and remind you these are real people, scared and brave all at once.

But, honestly, the film stumbles when it comes to really making you feel the pain underneath all that grit. The first chunk meanders, getting bogged down in backstory and setup that drags its feet. When the big emotional moments hit, sometimes they don’t land as hard as they should. The sacrifices hurt, but you’re left wishing you understood the men behind those sacrifices a little better. It’s like the script is so focused on showing us what happened, it forgets to dig deep into who these heroes really were. At just over two hours, the movie asks for your patience, and while it pays off for those who stick with it, casual viewers might drift.

Box office-wise, 120 Bahadur is a bit of a dark horse. It’s got chatter from early previews. First day numbers should land around 2-3 crores in India, not bad for a patriotic drama without any face value. Whether it keeps going depends on reviews like this one and whether schools and families make it a must-watch. If people connect with the story, it could easily double its opening weekend numbers. Don’t count it out, underdogs have a way of surprising everyone.

120 Bahadur isn’t perfect, but it refuses to just wave the flag and call it a day. It honors the men who stood their ground, flawed, gutsy, and real, just like the film. If you’re thinking about seeing it, do it in a theater. Some stories need to be as big and loud as the heroes they celebrate. 120 Bahadur roars with raw valor but trips up on heart.