Farhan Akhtar’s 120 Bahadur Makes History as First Film Released in Defence Theatres Nationwide
India’s film exhibition landscape is witnessing a historic milestone as the war epic 120 Bahadur, produced by Excel Entertainment and Trigger-Happy Studios, becomes the first movie ever to premiere across defense theatres throughout the country. This pioneering initiative, powered by Picture Time’s mobile cinema network, ensures that a tribute to unparalleled bravery reaches the very heroes it honors.
Starring Farhan Akhtar, 120 Bahadur will be screened exclusively for the defense community in over 800 cinema halls across India, coinciding with its global release on November 21. The rollout, orchestrated by Picture. Time in partnership with GenSync Brat Media, marks a significant advancement in bringing premium cinematic experiences to soldiers and their families stationed in remote and underserved areas. Sushil Chaudhary, Founder-CEO of Picture
Time, highlighted the vast entertainment gap faced by armed forces personnel. “With 1.5 million active soldiers and more than six million viewers in total, only 30% of India’s 20-million strong veteran and family audience currently has access to defence cinemas. Our goal is to broaden this reach to the underserved 70%, starting powerfully with 120 Bahadur, a film we believe will deeply connect with the forces,” he said. Echoing this sentiment, Excel Entertainment CEO Vishal Ramchandani expressed the emotional importance of the defence-first release. “120 Bahadur honors the courage and sacrifice of our armed forces.
We are honored that the soldiers whose spirit the film celebrates will watch it alongside their families. We sincerely thank Picture Time for making this special screening possible for those who serve the nation.” Based on the valiant Battle of Rezang La, 120 Bahadur features an ensemble cast including Raashii Khanna, Sparsh Walia, Vivan Bhatena, Dhanveer Singh, Digvijay Pratap, Sahib Verma, Ankit Siwach, Devendra Ahirwar, Ashutosh Shukla, Brijesh Karanwal, Atul Singh, with senior officers Ajinkya Deo and Eijaz Khan. Directed by Razneesh ‘Razy’ Ghai and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, and Amit Chandrra, 120 Bahadur is set to release in cinemas on November 21, 2025.
