The Bollywood movie “Battle of Galwan” has caused controversy due to its factual distortion; experts claim that a country’s holy area cannot be impacted by “over-the-top” drama.
On December 27, main actor Salman Khan released the trailer for the Indian film Battle of Galwan, which is set to be released in April 2026 and purports to be based on the 2020 fighting between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan region. The clip sparked outrage on the internet on Monday.
Chinese internet users frequently make fun of Salman Khan, who is best known to Chinese audiences as the lead actor in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, for portraying parts that seem too unbeatable, with narratives that are too straightforward and excessive visual effects that make the drama seem surreal.
Salman Khan plays Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu in the movie, a role that Indian media said attracted Bollywood’s attention due to his alleged crucial part in the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict.
Bollywood films, at most, offer an emotionally charged and entertaining picture, but no amount of cinematic exaggeration can change history or undermine the PLA’s resolve to protect China’s sovereign land, according to a Chinese scholar on Monday.
“Artistic Freedom”: Official Sources Regarding China’s Disapproval of the Bollywood film
The news reported on Sunday that the trailer opens with Salman’s voice giving a speech while instructing his soldiers on how to combat the “enemy.” He is then shown in the video approaching the “enemy,” with his soldiers standing next to him. He is then seen clinging to a stick while the “enemy” rushes in their direction. Salman’s character strikes someone with the stick as the video comes to a close.
On the other hand, some online users questioned whether the movie had imitated a sequence from Game of Thrones.
The movie has also sparked additional controversy on the internet, with users pointing to things like extras’ outfits and looks, actors’ hairstyles that don’t fit their military roles or the storyline’s suggestion of extreme cold, and—most importantly—a depiction of events that isn’t true.
About 200 Indian soldiers valiantly defended their land against a force of 1,200 Chinese soldiers on June 15, 2020, according to certain local media, notably India Today, which has promoted the movie as being based on the events that occurred between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan region.
Chinese internet users, however, have resisted these tales. The Indian “over-the-top” movie, according to a Weibo user going by the moniker “Qingning Riyue v,” fundamentally contradicts the facts.
“Situka 98,” another Weibo user, made fun of the movie and the associated media buzz by stating, “When history falls short, Bollywood steps in.”
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson detailed China’s stance on resolving the Galwan conflict and provided a detailed summary of the conflict as early as 2020.
Galwan Valley is situated on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control in the western portion of the China-India border, according to the spokesman. Chinese border forces have been on duty and conducting patrols in this area for many years.
Roads, bridges, and other amenities near the LAC in the Galwan Valley have been unilaterally and continually constructed by Indian border forces since April of this year. China has repeatedly filed protests and representations, but India has gone so far as to breach the LAC and cause provocations.
By the early hours of May 6, 2020, Indian border guards had created barricades and fortifications to prevent Chinese border troops from patrolling their region after crossing the LAC at night.
In an effort to unilaterally alter the current state of management and control, they purposefully caused provocations. According to the spokesperson, the Chinese border soldiers have been compelled to take the required actions to address the situation on the ground and improve administration and control in the border areas.
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