120 Bahadur producers tell Delhi High Court they will name all Battle of Rezang La soldiers in end credits

The producers of the movie 120 Bahadur told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that they will acknowledge and pay tribute to all 120 soldiers of the Kumaon regiment - who fought in the Battle of Rezang La during the 1962 India-China war - by naming each of them in the end credits of the film.

Counsel appearing for the movie producers made the statement before a Division Bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Shail Jain while it was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the movie producers to acknowledge the contribution and valour of Ahir (Yadav) soldiers in the war.

The Court took the statement on record and directed the producers to ensure that similar credit is given to the soldiers in the Over-The-Top release of the film as well.

However, the Court clarified that at this point, given the fact that the movie is set for release in theatres on November 21, it is too late to consider changing the name of the film. The petitioners had sought a direction to name the movie 120 Vir Ahir (120 Brave Ahir).

With these directions, the Court disposed of the plea.

An organisation named Sanyukt Ahir Regiment Morcha had filed the plea, arguing that in the Rezang La battle, 114 of the 120 soldiers of the 13 Kumaon Regiment attained martyrdom. The plea said that 113 of the soldiers in the company were Ahirs (Yadav's).

It stated that the movie distorts historical truths by singularly glorifying Major Shaitan Singh, as a lone protagonist under the fictionalised name Bhati (played by Farhan Akhtar), “erasing the collective identity, regimental pride, and community contribution of the Ahir (Yadav) soldiers who fought and fell beside him”. 

Therefore, the plea seeks direction to withdraw the movie’s certificate or to change its name from 120 Bahadur to 120 Vir Ahir (120 Brave Ahir) and “make factual corrections & inclusion of all the soldiers’ names and insertion of an appropriate disclaimer”.