Much to India’s shock and outrage (made clear by Amitabh Bachchan’s Morgan Freeman-esque narration), China used a flimsy pretext to invade across the Northeast border, near Bhutan. Fortunately, the resourceful and inspiring Singh had been assigned to Charlie Company, but, ironically, he was put in command of the storied Kumaon Regiment, which by that point, consisted solely of green provincial recruits, who had never experienced snow or high altitude.
The Regiment also gets a new radio operator, Sepoy Ramchander Yadav, transferred straight from a quiet office assignment. He just begs for regimental hazing, even though Singh discourages such practices. Naturally, the Major immediately recognizes the narrow Rezang La pass as the spot the Red Army will press their advance on the crucial Chushul Airfield. Consequently, only Singh’s 120 men will be there to stop them.
There might be some spin added, but screenwriter Rajiv G. Menon’s presentation of the Battle of Rezang La largely conforms to accepted history. As a winter storm approached, the 120 held off the thousand-plus-strong Red Army long enough to close the window on Chushul. It would also take several months for the Indian Army to determine their fate, because the snow-covered battlefield had frozen solid, even though the fictional composite Yadav lived to tell their story.
Obviously, 120 Bahadur never opened in China. Most likely, the studio never even tried. Somewhat oddly, the regular Indian non-commissioned soldiers rarely refer to the PRC directly. However, Ghai pulls no punches when depicting the carnage left behind when the PLA massacres the entire village of Chagga. The film also suggests Mao micromanaged every tactical decision of the Red Army, through his ventriloquist dummy intermediary, General Gao.
Don’t panic. There are also several musical numbers. Mostly they are Singh’s flashbacks to his courtship of Shugan Kanwari Singh and their early wedded bliss. Frankly, Ghai skillfully integrates them, so they are not as tonally jarring as you would assume. However, none of the tunes is particularly memorable.
Still, the dance numbers certainly prove Farhan Akhtar’s versatility. He has decent moves and seriously steely screen presence. Although not as buff as Salman Khan, he has a Jon Bernthal vibe that serves the picture well. Indeed, Akhtar’s forcefulness is intrinsic to the film’s best scene, introducing viewers to Singh, as he faces down a PLA sniper.
Perhaps most importantly, the Kumaon’s Regiment’s climactic battle with the PLA does not disappoint. It is a big, bloody, enormously cinematic showpiece. Plus, the picturesque Himalayan backdrops, stunningly lensed by cinematography Tetsuo Nagata give the film an appropriately epic look.
Admittedly, some characterization is rather perfunctory, but 120 Bahadur is far more engaging and accomplished than the equivalent Chinese propaganda films that inexplicably still get North American distribution (like Battle of Lake Changjin, which rewrote the history of Chosin Reservoir Battle, turning it into a Chinese victory). To repeat, 120 Bahadur is certainly patriotic, but it is also factually accurate. Recommended for the warfighting spectacle and the historical context, 120 Bahadur starts streaming free for Prime members tomorrow (1/16) in most market.
