Farhan Akhtar, one of the Bollywood directors with a penchant for incisive storytelling and weighing realism in emotions, recently opened up on the philosophy guiding his upcoming project 120 Bahadur. Farhan, an actor-filmmaker, describes the film as his attempt at paying respect to real soldiers without slipping into exaggeration or chest-thumping nationalism.
Speaking to participants at an event recently, Farhan explained that while patriotism might unite and inspire, it becomes perilous when that patriotism morphs into jingoism.
“Patriotism is beautiful, but jingoism is very ugly,” he said. “A soldier does not fight to prove superiority over anyone. He fights for people he loves, the land he belongs to and the values he stands for.
A Soldier’s Story, Not a Spectacle
120, Bahadur zeroes in on a soldier whose valor is not defined solely by battlefield heroics but by the everyday emotional and moral struggles that shape military life. Farhan said many war films glorify the conflict, while this story looks at the human beneath the uniform.
He says the movie displays the soldier’s vulnerability, doubts, fears, and the weight of responsibility he bears.
“When you meet real soldiers, you realize they rarely speak about glory. They speak about their families, their friends, the ones they lost. That honesty is what we wanted to capture,” he added.
The project balances realism with emotional depth and explores courage not through loud declarations, but as quiet resilience.
Why Jingoism Distorts Reality
Farhan also spoke about how cinematic portrayals often slip into aggressive nationalism, which, in his view, misrepresents the soldier.
“Jingoism reduces everything to ‘us versus them’. But soldiers understand nuance more than anyone else. They know the cost of war,” he said.
He stressed that patriotism should encourage unity and gratitude, while jingoism creates division and hate. The film, he said, hews firmly toward the former.
A Tribute to Real Heroes
Farhan has disclosed that the title 120 Bahadur is taken from real-life acts of bravery, though the story in itself is fictionalized for clarity. The aim was to show heroism rooted in humanity rather than hyperbole. His comments have rung particularly true with a lot of viewers as anticipation for the film builds up, since people like their depiction of nationalism to be realistic. By Farhan’s own admission, 120 Bahadur is going to be emotional and introspective about what truly makes one brave.
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