120 Bahadur review: Farhan Akhtar leads from the front in a heartfelt tribute, which takes time connecting emotionally

DIrection: Razneesh Raazi GhaiCast: Farhan Akhtar, Raashii Khanna, Sparsh Walia, Eijaz KhanRating: 3 stars As I watched 120 Bahadur, I simply couldn’t escape from away the signified of closeness. Our war dramas often march to the same beat, and this one also takes its time before stepping out of that mould. It finds its footing eventually, but only after wading through a swamp of predictability. So how does it fare overall?Based on the 1962 Rezang La battle, the film unfolds through the recollections of a radio operator played by Sparsh Walia. Led by Shaitan Singh Bhati, brought to life by Farhan Akhtar, 120 soldiers of Charlie Company, 13 Kumaon regiment, laid down their lives to protect the Rezang La pass from the Chinese. The how of it forms the rest of the film.Directed by Razneesh Razi Ghai, son of an Indian Army officer, what immediately stands out is the choice to film on real locations instead of leaning on green or blue screens. Filmmakers often forget how much authenticity the terrain itself adds. Razneesh’s lineage clearly gives him an advantage, not only in access but in understanding the lived texture of an army story.The cinematography by Tetsuo Nagata captures Ladakh’s harsh beauty with striking clarity, and it is easily the strongest part of the first half. There was room for deeper emotional peaks. Razneesh conveys the inner turmoil of soldiers separated from their families, but when the screenplay shifts to Shaitan’s life before Rezang La, those passages feel functional rather than emotional. For example, a song filmed on Farhan and his on screen wife Raashi Khanna's character, summing up their married life, feels out of place.The second half is where the film finally comes alive. Once both armies stand on the brink of confrontation, the storytelling turns raw. The battle sequences don't hold back the blood and gore, and the sheer selflessness of the soldiers nudges you close to tears. Even the moment of respect offered by the Chinese Army toward Shaitan helps 120 Bahadur regain its emotional balance.Performance wise, Farhan delivers a solid turn, and his screen presence fits the part with ease. But that unmistakably suave manner of speaking he’s known for works against him here; it keeps you aware you're watching Farhan rather than the role he's meant to inhabit. He redeems himself in the climax.Sparsh as the radio operator suits the role, and so does Raashii. But her track lends nothing much to the film.What 120 Bahadur needed was a stronger emotional spine throughout to bind its technical strengths together. That too minus the cliched melodrama. The craft is certainly there,20 the intention is unwavering, but the film stops short of delivering the kind of lingering impact a story of this magnitude deserves. A tighter screenplay, and a sharper balance between sentiment and spectacle could have elevated it from a sincere tribute, to a stirring war drama.