Salman Khan’s new film in trouble?
Salman Khan’s upcoming film ‘Battle of Galwan,’ depicting the clash between Indian and Chinese armies in 2020 in Ladakh, has kicked up a storm.
While China’s Global Times newspaper claimed the movie to be a cinematic exaggeration, India on Tuesday said cinemas are an artistic expression, and the Government does not restrict them. Global Times criticism came after a 1.12-minute teaser of the big-budget film, which was released recently. The Chinese newspaper claimed that the movie distorted facts.
The film, directed by Apoorva Lakhia, has Salman playing the role of Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, who laid down his life along with 19 other soldiers of the 16 Bihar Regiment in the 2020 battle while defending Indian territory. He was posthumously given India’s second-highest wartime gallantry award, the Maha Vir Chakra. The brutal clash on the Line of Control (LOC) in eastern Ladakh on June 15, 2020, saw a hand-to-hand fight between the soldiers of the two armies. While 20 Indian soldier including the commanding officer, died, more than 40 Chinese soldiers were also killed.
A teaser of the film was released on Salman’s 60th birthday on Saturday. It shows the actor’s Army officer and a group of Indian soldiers ready to charge at the PLA army members running towards them with the song “Mera Bharat Desh Mahaan Hai” playing in the backdrop.
“India has a tradition of cinematic expression. A movie titled ‘Haqeeqat’ was made in 1964, and the theme was the India-China war of 1962. Another film ‘120 Bahadur’, was made recently on the legendary battle of Rezang La. Cinemas are an artistic expression, and India does not restrict it,” sources said.
Several Indian media outlets reported on the teaser and the criticism it drew from the Chinese media. Global Times termed the movie propaganda and quoted a “Chinese expert” and several Weibo (Chinese social media) accounts to find fault with different aspects of the short teaser.
The Chinese publication said the film misrepresents the events surrounding the violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley. The article claimed the portrayal does not match what it described as factual accounts of the incident.
