Mumbai: Farhan Akhtar returned to the big screen after nearly four years with his ambitious war drama 120 Bahadur, and expectations were understandably high. The film marks his comeback as an actor, and the story of the legendary 1962 Battle of Rezang La promised an emotional, patriotic cinematic experience. Nonetheless, the opening figures have shocked several, because the movie began on a softer footing than one could have imagined, considering the scale of the production, the subject matter and the goodwill with which Farhan returned to the stage.
Farhan’s Comeback Falls Short
On Day 1, 120 Bahadur collected an estimated ₹2.35 crore net, with an overall national occupancy of 8.58 percent. Morning shows started with a muted 4.52 percent and increased to 6.58 percent in the afternoon. The evening showed a slight improvement at 8.53 percent and the best result was recorded in night shows at 14.7 percent. The movie was distributed into 2,725 screens nationwide and thus reached widely but registered a low footfall.
Delhi–NCR had the most shows at 766, yet the occupancy stayed at 8.25 percent. Mumbai had 456 shows, performing slightly better with 9.5 percent. The film’s performance suggests that urban centres, which typically drive opening-day numbers, did not show the expected enthusiasm despite Farhan’s star power.
Box Office Expectations vs Reality
The opening looks weaker when compared to other recent releases from Excel Entertainment. Siddhant Chaturvedi’s Yudhra opened at around ₹4.5 crore, while Fukrey 3 delivered ₹8.82 crore on Day 1. Even in the genre of war drama, 120 Bahadur lags behind. Vicky Kaushal in Sam Bahadur had earned ₹6.25 crore on opening day and Akshay Kumar in Sky Force had earned ₹12 crore on opening day. The gap is evident in the film that Farhan directed, which earned approximately 80 percent of the amount of Sky Force. Farhan’s film earning nearly 80 percent less than Sky Force shows the gap clearly.
Audience Reaction
The subject of 120 Bahadur is deeply patriotic and emotionally heavy, which may not immediately draw the wide audience that weekend entertainers usually attract. Early feedback from viewers has been mixed. Many appreciated the film’s authenticity, powerful battle sequences, Tetsuo Nagata’s striking cinematography and the impactful background score. The acting of the supporting cast has also been applauded particularly that of Sparsh Walia.
However, some viewers felt the emotional drama did not always match the intensity of the war scenes. Some also mentioned that the song sequence was a bit out of place in the harsh narrative. Farhan Akhtar’s performance has received both appreciation and criticism, with some questioning whether his urban tone suited the rural background of Major Shaitan Singh Bhati.
About 120 Bahadur
Directed by Razneesh Ghai, 120 Bahadur has a runtime of 137 minutes and tells the unforgettable story of 120 Indian soldiers who fought against 3,000 Chinese troops at Rezang La. The narration of the film is done through the eyes of a survivor, Sparsh Walia. Raashii Khanna plays the wife to Major Bhati and Vivan Bhatena, Ankit Siwach, Ajinkya Deo and Eijaz Khan play some of the supporting roles. The narration is performed by Amitabh Bachchan, which gives it a memorable touch.
Despite the soft opening, the weekend could help the film recover some ground if word of mouth improves. Military dramas tend to grow when audiences connect emotionally, much like Border and Uri, which blended patriotism with mass appeal. For now, 120 Bahadur aims for a first-weekend total of around ₹8–10 crore, which will be crucial in shaping its journey ahead.
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