Tue Dec 30 10:52:31 UTC 2025: Salman Khan’s ‘Battle of Galwan’ Sparks Outrage in China, Accused of Distorting Facts
New Delhi: The teaser release of the Bollywood war drama “Battle of Galwan,” starring Salman Khan, has ignited a firestorm of criticism from Chinese state media, who accuse the film of misrepresenting the events of the deadly 2020 border clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley.
The Apoorva Lakhia-directed film portrays Salman Khan as Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, the Indian commanding officer who lost his life in the conflict. The film also stars Chitrangada Singh alongside Zeyn Shaw, Ankur Bhatia, and Vipin Bhardwaj.
China’s state-run Global Times published an article alleging the film’s depiction of the June 2020 clashes as inaccurate and dismissive of the sacrifice made by Indian soldiers. The Global Times also baselessly claimed that Galwan Valley is located on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control and accused Indian troops of provoking the conflict by crossing the LAC.
India acknowledged losing 20 soldiers in the brutal hand-to-hand combat. While, Beijing admitted to losing only four troops, a number widely considered to be an underestimation. The Chinese state media also criticized Bollywood for using films to stir nationalistic sentiments.
Indian filmmakers have strongly condemned the Chinese allegations. Ashoke Pandit remarked on the obvious “insecurity” felt by China as Indian filmmakers exposed “activities of the enemy.” Rahul Mitra emphasized the extensive research that underpins such films.
Government sources in India have clarified that they have no involvement in the film, emphasizing India’s commitment to freedom of expression and artistic license. They suggested that any concerns regarding the movie can be directed to the Ministry of Defence.
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