Unsurprisingly, China isn’t pleased with Salman Khan’s upcoming film, Battle Of Galwan.
The Chinese government affiliated media outlet Global Times accused the film of exaggeration and presenting a ‘one-sided narrative’ of the June 15-16, 2020 Galwan valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops.
The film, slated for release in April 2026, stars Salman Khan as Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, who was martyred in the Galwan valley.
A teaser was unveiled on the actor’s 60th birthday on December 27, and it quickly drew attention on social media platforms in China as well as the official State media.
Battle of Galwan is based on the June 15-16, 2020 clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley region of Ladakh, where 20 Indian soldiers were martyred.
China lost 38 soldiers in the clash, according to the Australian news outlet The Klaxon, but Chinese officials claim that only four of its soldiers died.
After the Battle Of Galwan teaser was released, Chinese netizens questionED the film’s historical accuracy, according to Global Times.
A user on China’s social media platform Weibo compared scenes from the teaser to imagery from the popular fantasy series Game Of Thrones and accused the filmmakers of copying visuals and dramatising combat.
Another user commented that the Indian film was ‘over-the-top’ and ‘seriously contradicted the facts’.
A user posted, ‘When history falls short, Bollywood steps in.’
A Chinese military expert told the Global Times that cinema-driven nationalism would not affect China’s stance on territorial sovereignty or the People’s Liberation Army’s resolve.
Indian officials have consistently rejected China’s version of events in the Galwan Valley and have maintained that Indian troops were responding to attempts by the PLA to unilaterally change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control, the notional border between India and China.
Chinese analysts quoted in the Global Times also criticised the timing of the film, arguing that it could inflame public sentiment at a moment when bilateral ties have shown limited signs of stabilisation after years of military and diplomatic talks.
The film-makers of Battle of Galwan have not yet publicly responded to the criticism yet.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
