Farhan Akhtar’s long-awaited war epic *120 Bahadur* releases in theaters on November 21, 2025, and will clash with the raunchy franchise *Masti 4*. A tribute to the 120 soldiers of Charlie Company, 13 Kumaon Regiment, who bravely captured the Rezang La Pass against Chinese forces in the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the film was directed by Rajneesh ‘Razi’ Ghai and co-produced by Excel Entertainment. It had Himalayan visuals, tremendous action and a great score by Amit Trivedi-Salim-Sulaiman. Its premiere in defense theaters across the country, attended by veterans and stars like Asha Parekh and Waheeda Rehman, further heightened the feeling of patriotism. Nevertheless, despite early reviews praising Akhtar’s stellar performance in the role of Major Shaitan Singh, the drama received a lukewarm response, earning ₹2.35 crore in India on its first day, according to Sacnilk trackers.

Hindi occupancy stood at 8.58% across India, which dropped to 5% in certain markets, leading to cancellation of shows due to low footfall. In contrast, *Masti 4*—which reunites Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani for Milap Zaveri’s adult comedy—led the night show with 9.98% occupancy, reaching 15.4%. In single-screen, the mass appeal of this franchise overtook the special patriotism of *120 Bahadur*, although both lagged behind *De De Pyar De 2*’s 8th day collection of ₹2.25 crore.

Trade Pundits The clash is leading to a low number of screens (both at ~2,857), and the multiplex tilt of *120 Bahadur* failing to bring in walk-ins. Analyst Komal Nahta said, “If the reviews are good then word-of-mouth can lead to an increase of ₹ 8-10 crore in the weekend,” but there is a danger of the screen being cut for films like *Tere Ishq Mein* which are coming with less buzz. Akhtar’s seventh-highest opener earned a modest sum, a far cry from *Sam Bahadur’s* benchmark of ₹6.25 crore.

For *120 Bahadur*, which blends historical bravery with emotional depth, the real battle is yet to come: will Akhtar’s enthusiasm be able to draw audiences in, or will he fade away like a forgotten hero? As viewers tune in over the weekend, it’s a reminder of Rezang La’s story—off-screen bravery is required to survive at the box-office.