Salman Khan has a new film. And China is upset.
The recently released teaser for the ‘Battle of Galwan’ film seems to have angered Beijing. China’s state-run media has accused Salman’s film of “distorting the facts”.
But what happened at Galwan? What has China claimed? Why is it so upset?
What happened at Galwan
On June 15, 2020, Indian and Chinese troops clashed violently in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, triggering the deadliest confrontation between the two sides in more than four decades.
Tensions had been simmering for weeks. Since early May, both armies had surged troops to multiple friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including in the Galwan Valley. These areas are not formally demarcated and are instead governed by patrol limits that both sides interpret differently.
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By early June, India had objected to Chinese troops setting up temporary structures near Patrol Point 14 (PP14), an area both sides regularly patrol and use for face-to-face meetings. On June 6, local commanders from both sides agreed to disengage and pull back troops from the area. China dismantled one tent, and both sides agreed to withdraw around two kilometres.
However, days later, Indian troops discovered that Chinese soldiers had returned and erected new tents, including one positioned on elevated ground overlooking the valley. On the evening of June 15, a team led by Colonel Bikkumalla
Santosh Babu went to verify whether the disengagement had been completed.
What followed was a violent confrontation. According to Indian accounts, when the Indian patrol attempted to remove the newly erected structure, Chinese troops confronted them. A scuffle broke out, quickly escalating into a brutal hand-to-hand fight using stones, rods and makeshift weapons wrapped with barbed wire.
India acknowledged the loss of 20 troops in the Galwan Valley clash. Representational image.
“This was treachery by the Chinese. The attack on the Indian team was planned. The CO had gone there with his men in good faith because talks were held in a positive atmosphere during the day,” a source said at the time. The two sides fought each other viciously for several hours, resulting in casualties for both sides. There were reports that India lost 20 troops and that around 40 Chinese soldiers were killed or injured in the melee.
Colonel Santosh was fatally injured in the clash.
Fighting continued for several hours in near-freezing conditions along steep terrain.
The Major Generals of both armies then met at PP14. Ten Indian Army personnel, captured by the Chinese, were returned on June 17. India acknowledged the deaths of 20 troops during the clashes. While China initially denied it lost any troops in the battle, it later admitted four of its troops had died.
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Both sides subsequently held military and diplomatic talks to disengage. The clash marked the first combat fatalities along the India–China border since 1975 and triggered a prolonged military standoff across eastern Ladakh.
What China is saying, Indian government responds
China is claiming that the movie does not “align with the facts”.
“The Bollywood films at most provide an entertainment-driven, emotionally charged portrayal, but no amount of cinematic exaggeration can rewrite the history or shake the PLA’s determination to defend China’s sovereign territory,” an article in the state-run Global Times stated.
It also wrongly claims that the Galwan Valley falls on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). It also falsely claims that Indian troops trespassed into Chinese territory and deliberately provoked a fight in order to change the status quo.
The piece also took aim at Colonel Santosh’s participation in the battle as a “so-called pivotal role”. It also claimed that some netizens pointed to similarities between the teaser and a famous shot from Game of Thrones.
It accused the film of presenting a “one-sided Indian narrative” and stoking “antagonistic sentiment” at a time when relations between the two nations are easing.
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The piece claimed that India “exaggerated casualty figures, distorted facts, and attempted to mislead the international community and smear the Chinese military”.
The ‘Battle of Galwan’ is set to release in April 2026.
“No matter how ‘over-the-top’ a drama may be, a nation’s sacred territory will never be affected by a film,” it quoted Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, as saying.
Sources from the Indian government told NDTV it is playing no role in the film.
Those who have concerns regarding the movie can approach India’s Ministry of Defence for clarification, sources added.
“India is a country with freedom of expression, and cinematic expression is an integral part of it. Indian filmmakers are free to make films as per this artistic freedom. Those who may have concerns on this particular film are free to approach India’s Ministry of Defence for any clarifications. Government has no role to play in this film,” sources said.
What we know about the film
The Battle of Galwan details what happened when troops from India and China clashed in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in 2020.
The film stars Salman Khan and Chitrangada Singh, as well as Zeyn Shaw, Ankur Bhatia and Vipin Bhardwaj. It is directed by Apoorva Lakhia, who previously helmed Shootout at Lokhandwala, Mission Istanbul and Ek Ajnabee.
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Salman plays Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, who commanded the 16 Bihar Regiment. Colonel Santosh died while fighting People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops during the battle.
The teaser shows Salman addressing his troops before moving in the direction of the enemy. It also cuts out before it shows him striking an individual. It is slated to release in April 2026.
With inputs from agencies
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