Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 2: China has strongly criticised the upcoming Indian film Battle of Galwan, starring Bollywood actor Salman Khan, accusing it of distorting facts and presenting a one-sided narrative of the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops. The reaction from Beijing came soon after the film’s teaser was released late last month, triggering sharp commentary in Chinese state-run media and on social media platforms.
The film, directed by Apoorva Lakhia, is based on the June 15-16, 2020 confrontation in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers. Salman Khan portrays Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, the commanding officer of the Indian Army unit involved in the clash. The teaser was released on December 27, coinciding with the actor’s birthday, and the film is scheduled for theatrical release in April 2026.
Chinese state media outlets, particularly the Global Times, described the teaser as “over-the-top” and alleged that it does not align with what they termed as factual history. Commentators accused the filmmakers of exaggerating events and using cinema to promote a nationalist narrative that, according to them, misrepresents China’s position on the border dispute. Some Chinese analysts also warned that such portrayals could inflame public sentiment and undermine ongoing efforts to stabilise bilateral relations.
The criticism extended to Chinese social media, where users questioned the accuracy of the film’s depiction of uniforms, terrain, and combat sequences. Several posts mocked the teaser, claiming it presented an unrealistic version of events and ignored China’s official account of the Galwan clash. The incident remains highly sensitive in China, where public discussion of casualties suffered by the People’s Liberation Army during the clash has been tightly controlled.
In response, Indian government sources rejected China’s objections, emphasising that cinema falls under artistic expression and that filmmakers are free to interpret historical events. Officials stressed that the Indian government does not censor creative works based on foreign sensitivities and that the film reflects one perspective of a significant national event. Voices from India’s film industry also defended the project, arguing that the backlash underscores Beijing’s discomfort with public discussion of the Galwan incident.
The controversy highlights the continuing fragility of India-China relations more than four years after the Galwan clash, which marked the most serious violence along the Line of Actual Control in decades. While military and diplomatic talks have led to partial disengagement in some friction points, the broader boundary dispute remains unresolved. Observers say that cultural representations, such as the Battle of Galwan, have now become another arena where competing narratives over the conflict are playing out, highlighting how deeply politics and popular culture are intertwined in the India-China relationship.
