Punjab & Haryana High Court Declines PIL Seeking Name Change of Film 120 Bahadur

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to stop the release of the upcoming film 120 Bahadur, starring Farhan Akhtar as Param Vir Chakra awardee Major Shaitan Singh Bhati. The petitioners had demanded that the film be renamed 120 Vir Ahir to honour the 120 Ahir soldiers who fought in the 1962 Battle of Rezang La.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry noted that the Union government had already received the petitioners’ representation and assured the Court that the matter would be decided within two days. Based on that assurance, the Court chose not to interfere further.

The PIL was filed by Sanyukt Ahir Regiment Morcha along with family members of the soldiers who fought at Rezang La. They argued that the film’s name did not reflect the collective bravery of the regiment, most of whom were Ahir soldiers from Rewari, Mahendragarh, Narnaul, and nearby areas. According to them, the movie wrongly shifts the spotlight only on Major Shaitan Singh and ignores the role of the entire Charlie Company.

The petitioners also claimed that the film distorts historical facts and undermines the constitutional values of equality and fair representation. They said that the real battle was fought by 120 soldiers at nearly 18,000 feet, in extreme sub-zero temperatures, against thousands of Chinese troops, and the sacrifice of all 120 soldiers must be acknowledged together.

However, the Court questioned the need to be overly sensitive about the film’s name. Chief Justice Nagu observed that the acts of bravery shown in the film would itself honour the soldiers, regardless of the title.

During the hearing, the producers’ counsel, Advocate Abhinav Sood, informed the Court that the film had already been cleared by the censor board as well as the Union Ministry of Defence. He argued that the PIL was premature and based only on the film’s trailer. He added that the credits and acknowledgment pages in the film do include all names appropriately.

Since the Centre assured that it would decide the pending review under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act within two days, the Court disposed of the petition, giving the petitioners liberty to approach again if any grievance remains.