A new Bollywood film titled '120 Bahadur' has drawn attention to the largely forgotten Rezang La battle fought during the 1962 India-China war.
The film portrays the final stand of 120 Indian soldiers defending the Rezang La pass in Ladakh’s freezing Himalayan terrain.
Farhan Akhtar stars as Major Shaitan Singh, who led the troops during what is often described as the war’s only moment of honour for India.
We felt it was very important that this story must be told, we wanted to honour the people who lived the story.
Sumit Arora said.
The battle took place on the night of 18 November 1962, with Indian forces facing thousands of Chinese troops at altitudes above 16,000 feet.
Only five soldiers survived the encounter, while Major Shaitan Singh was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for bravery.
Initial accounts of the soldiers’ last stand were dismissed until evidence was discovered months later at the frozen battlefield.
Historians and authors say the defence of Rezang La helped prevent deeper Chinese advances into Ladakh.
Despite its poor box office performance, the film has renewed public discussion around the sacrifices made during the conflict.