India on Tuesday pushed back against criticism from China’s state-run Global Times over the upcoming Bollywood film Battle of Galwan, asserting that filmmakers in the country are free to choose their subjects and that cinematic expression should not be politicised. Government sources said Indian cinema has a long tradition of depicting historical military events and that such creative works are not unusual or unprecedented.
Officials pointed out that films such as Haqeeqat (1964), based on the 1962 India-China war, and 121, which portrayed the Battle of Rezang La, had earlier explored sensitive episodes from India’s military history. They stressed that storytellers are entitled to interpret events they believe are significant, and that this freedom of expression should not be viewed through a political lens.
The response came after Global Times published an article criticising the teaser of Battle of Galwan, which was released over the weekend. The Chinese publication claimed the film distorted facts related to the violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in June 2020. It alleged that the portrayal did not match what it described as the actual sequence of events.
In particular, the report took issue with the depiction of Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, who was killed during the clash, referring dismissively to his role as “so-called.” It also claimed that Chinese social media users had reacted negatively to the teaser, describing it as exaggerated and sensationalised.
The Global Times reiterated Beijing’s long-standing claim that India was responsible for triggering the confrontation, alleging that Indian troops crossed the Line of Actual Control and escalated tensions. It accused New Delhi of misrepresenting facts and inflating casualty figures to shape international opinion. While India officially confirmed the deaths of around 20 soldiers, China acknowledged its own casualties much later, initially denying any losses.
The Chinese report further argued that the film was part of a broader attempt to fuel nationalist sentiment in India and claimed that cinematic portrayals could not alter China’s territorial position. It framed the movie as a cultural extension of political rivalry rather than a creative retelling of events.
Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, Battle of Galwan stars Salman Khan and Chitrangada Singh and is scheduled for release in April 2026.
