Just a Cliche Low Energy War Drama | 120 Bahadur Review

What is the 120 Bahadur Plot About?

Farhan Akhtar new movie 120 Bahadur in cinemas is based on the Battle of Rezang La that took place 18,000 ft above sea level in Ladakh. This battle featured the Param Vir Chakra awardee Major Shaitan Singh Bhati (Farhan Akhtar) leading a troop of 120 Ahir soldiers going up against a Chinese contingent of 3,000 soldiers.

In this battle, only six Indian soldiers survived. Alongside this battle, which was a part of the India-China war of 1962, 120 Bahadur also covers the personal life of Major Shaitan Singh Bhati with his wife, Shagun Kanwar (Raashii Khanna).

What works in 120 Bahadur?

The most appreciable thing about 120 Bahadur is the technical aspects of the movie, which should necessarily be lovable for every war movie. Director Razneesh Ghai, being the son and brother of Indian army soldiers, clearly shows his dedication towards the story by shooting at real locations instead of a studio with a green or blue screen. Even the 120 Bahadur Release Date lies three days after the death anniversary of Major Shaitan Singh Bhati.

This use of real locations, along with Tetsuo Nagata’s cinematography, is what makes 120 Bahadur a visually appalling experience. Additionally, the background score feels great for a theatrical experience. The performances by the whole cast are just decent, while Vivan Bhatena’s acting stands out due to his dedication, which is clearly reflected in the actor’s voice modulation, dialogue delivery, and accent.

As for its screenplay, barely anything can be called good except a few pinches of humor in the first half, along with the interval block.

What does not work in the 120 Bahadur Film?

The biggest drawback of making a war drama in the present period is that there is barely any way one can make their film look fresh and escape from a template of war movies that has been followed since eternity. What we have seen in tons of entertainers like Border and Shershaah, watching all of that in 120 Bahadur, only makes you feel, “Why am I watching this movie?”

The first half is very generic, which turns out to interest the audience towards the end. It also features the backstory of Farhan Akhtar and the rest of the soldiers, their love for the country, and some flashback scenes – nothing out of the box. While the audience is left with a bit of interest in the interval, the interest fades midway through the second half, which tries to offer thrills but fails massively.

As for the screenplay, it is plain, ordinary, covered with generic themes, and hence is boring. Due to such a disappointing experience throughout the movie, even the climax fails to amaze you or leave any impact on you.

Among the performances, 120 Bahadur is full of actors who should not be there. Farhan Akhtar lacks energy and jingoism in his performance, something that was an essential ingredient in this war drama. Overall, his performance feels lazy and forced. As the major part of the film focuses on his character, a better actor in place of Farhan would have surely made the movie feel better.

The rest of the 120 Bahadur cast members are barely decent in their screen time and reflect no emotions, another necessary ingredient for a war drama like this.

How is the Music of 120 Bahadur?

The music of 120 Bahadur can be considered average at best. Sukhwinder Singh’s Dada Kishan Ki Jai is a genuinely good song that fits in the narrative. However, Yaad Aate Hain, Main Hoon Woh Dharti Maa, and Naine Ra Lobhi are just okay-ish.

Our Final Take on 120 Bahadur

As of the overall 120 Bahadur review, this Farhan Akhtar film depends on a fixed template of war dramas in India but doesn’t turn out to be even half decent. It is stuck under a burden of cliches from which it tries to get out but never succeeds.

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