Farhan Akhtar’s ‘120 Bahadur’ Makes History With India Defense Theater Release (EXCLUSIVE)

Farhan Akhtar‘s war epic “120 Bahadur” is set to make exhibition history as the first film to release across India’s defense theater network, reaching over 800 cinema halls serving the country’s military community when it opens on Nov. 21.

The film centers on the Battle of Rezang La, the 1962 conflict in which 120 Indian soldiers of Charlie Company, 13 Kumaon Regiment, fought Chinese forces at an altitude of over 16,000 feet in Ladakh, with 114 soldiers killed in action.

Akhtar stars alongside Raashii Khanna, Sparsh Walia, Vivan Bhatena, Dhanveer Singh, Digvijay Pratap, Sahib Verma, Ankit Siwach, Devendra Ahirwar, Ashutosh Shukla, Brijesh Karanwal, Atul Singh, Ajinkya Deo and Eijaz Khan.

Directed by Razneesh “Razy” Ghai, “120 Bahadur” is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment alongside Amit Chandrra’s Trigger Happy Studios.

The rollout, spearheaded by PictureTime in partnership with GenSync Brat Media, will screen exclusively for defense personnel and their families, bridging what organizers describe as a long-standing gap between the entertainment industry and India’s armed forces.

“There are 1.5 million active soldiers and over six million viewers. But only 30% of India’s 20-million strong veteran and family audience has access to defense cinemas,” said Sushil Chaudhary, founder-CEO of PictureTime. “We aim to expand the ecosystem to additionally reach the underserved 70% and we begin with a bang with ‘120 Bahadur,’ a film we know will deeply resonate with the forces.”

The initiative leverages PictureTime’s mobile cinema network to deliver theatrical experiences to soldiers and families stationed in remote regions across the country.

“‘120 Bahadur’ honors the courage and sacrifice of our armed forces,” said Vishal Ramchandani, CEO of Excel Entertainment. “We feel truly privileged that the soldiers whose spirit the film celebrates will be watching it with their families. Our sincere thanks to PictureTime for facilitating this screening for those who serve the nation.”

Excel Entertainment and Trigger Happy Studios are also rolling out select paid previews on Nov. 18 to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the battle. The strategy aims to build early word-of-mouth three days ahead of the film’s Nov. 21 opening, honoring the 120 soldiers while allowing early audience reactions to drive conversation ahead of release.