Entertainment
oi-Ashish Rana
China
has
objected
strongly
to
the
upcoming
Bollywood
film
Battle
of
Galwan,
alleging
that
it
distorts
facts
related
to
the
2020
Galwan
Valley
clash
between
Indian
and
Chinese
troops.
of
Galwan
Salman
Khan
China
has
strongly
objected
to
the
Bollywood
film
‘Battle
of
Galwan,’
which
is
based
on
the
2020
Galwan
Valley
clash
between
Indian
and
Chinese
troops,
criticizing
its
portrayal
of
the
incident
as
exaggerated
and
one-sided,
while
the
film
is
set
to
release
in
April
2026,
starring
Salman
Khan
as
Colonel
Bikkumalla
Santosh
Babu.
The
controversy
followed
the
release
of
the
film’s
trailer
on
December
27
by
actor
Salman
Khan,
ahead
of
its
scheduled
theatrical
release
in
April
2026.
Chinese
experts
and
social
media
users
have
criticised
the
film
for
what
they
describe
as
exaggerated
storytelling
and
a
one-sided
Indian
narrative,
arguing
that
cinema
cannot
alter
historical
facts
or
territorial
realities.
Trailer
visuals
draw
sharp
reaction
from
China
Salman
Khan
plays
Colonel
Bikkumalla
Santosh
Babu
in
the
film,
a
role
linked
to
the
Galwan
Valley
events
of
June
2020.
According
to
media
reports,
the
teaser
opens
with
the
actor
delivering
a
speech
to
his
troops
before
confronting
the
enemy.
The
visuals
show
close-combat
sequences
using
sticks,
with
soldiers
advancing
alongside
him.
The
trailer
quickly
drew
reactions
from
Chinese
netizens,
with
several
comparing
certain
scenes
to
visuals
from
Game
of
Thrones.
Others
questioned
the
authenticity
of
the
soldiers’
uniforms,
hairstyles,
and
whether
the
portrayal
accurately
reflected
the
extreme
cold
conditions
of
the
Galwan
region.
Salman
Khan,
who
is
well
known
in
China
due
to
his
earlier
films,
has
often
been
mocked
by
Chinese
netizens
for
playing
invincible
characters,
a
criticism
that
resurfaced
after
the
trailer’s
release.
China
rejects
portrayal
of
Galwan
clash
in
the
film
The
film
has
been
promoted
as
being
inspired
by
the
June
15,
2020,
Galwan
Valley
incident,
with
media
narratives
highlighting
Indian
soldiers
defending
their
position
against
a
much
larger
Chinese
force.
Chinese
users
on
Weibo
rejected
this
portrayal.
A
user
identified
as
“Qingning
Riyue
v” commented
that
the
film’s
over-the-top
depiction
“seriously
contradicts
the
facts”.
Another
user,
“Situka
98”,
mocked
the
narrative,
saying,
“When
history
falls
short,
Bollywood
steps
in.”
China
has
consistently
maintained
that
Galwan
Valley
lies
on
its
side
of
the
Line
of
Actual
Control.
A
Chinese
Foreign
Ministry
spokesperson
had
earlier
accused
Indian
troops
of
crossing
the
LAC,
building
infrastructure,
and
provoking
Chinese
patrols
despite
repeated
diplomatic
objections.
Chinese
experts
say
cinema
cannot
change
borders
or
history
In
2021,
China
released
official
details
of
the
Galwan
clash
to
honour
soldiers
it
said
died
while
safeguarding
national
sovereignty.
Former
Defence
Ministry
spokesperson
Ren
Guoqiang
stated,
“We
must
note
that
the
Galwan
Valley
skirmish
is
the
Indian
military’s
responsibility.”
China
said
four
of
its
soldiers,
including
battalion
commander
Chen
Hongjun,
lost
their
lives
in
the
clash,
while
India
reported
20
soldiers
killed
during
the
incident.
Chinese
military
analyst
Song
Zhongping
told
Global
Times
that
India’s
use
of
cinema
to
stir
nationalist
sentiment
was
unsurprising.
“No
matter
how
films
dramatise
or
embellish
events,
they
cannot
change
the
core
facts
of
the
Galwan
Valley
incident,” he
said,
adding,
“No
matter
how
‘over-the-top’
a
drama
may
be,
a
nation’s
sacred
territory
will
never
be
affected
by
a
film.”
Echoing
similar
views,
Lan
Jianxue,
director
of
the
Department
of
Asia-Pacific
Studies
at
the
China
Institute
of
International
Studies,
said
the
film’s
theme
and
timing
were
inappropriate,
particularly
at
a
time
when
China-India
relations
have
only
recently
shown
signs
of
easing.
