"Had to make sure...we are giving accurate depiction": Farhan Akhtar on challenges of bringing story of real-life heroes on-screen in '120 Bahadur'

Based on the Battle of Rezang La during the India-China war, '120 Bahadur' features Farhan Akhtar as Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, a Param Vir Chakra awardee who led the 13 Kumaon Regiment in its brave stand against overwhelming Chinese forces in 1962.

Bringing such real-life stories to the screen is never easy, and there is added responsibility and pressure to make them appealing and to do justice to the major events and the people involved. Speaking to ANI, Farhan opened up about the challenges of getting involved with such stories. He said, "All films are challenging in some way or another. Of course, this demanded a lot more because of where we shot it. That does make a difference."

Akhtar also spoke about the added responsibility of ensuring that the film accurately depicted the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers and their families. "We had to make sure that people whose family member is associated with the story, who we are representing in the film, that they should feel proud when they watch the film. That we are giving an accurate depiction, a respectful depiction," he said.

Despite these challenges, Akhtar is thrilled to have premiered '120 Bahadur' at IFFI 2025. "It feels great to have our film premiering here. It's a marquee international film festival that we have, and I'm proud to be a part of it," he said.

The film also stars Raashii Khanna, Sparsh Walia, Vivan Bhatena and Dhanveer Singh in prominent roles.

Directed by Razneesh 'Razy' Ghai and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar (Excel Entertainment), and Amit Chandrra (Trigger Happy Studios), the film released in cinemas on November 21.

The 56th International Film Festival of India is currently underway in Goa. It will run till November 28. (ANI)