India on Tuesday firmly reiterated its commitment to freedom of expression, stating that filmmakers in the country are entitled to creative independence, amid objections raised by Chinese state media over the Salman Khan-led film Battle of Galwan. Government sources clarified that cinema in India operates under artistic freedom and does not require official endorsement or intervention.

The film draws inspiration from the violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in June 2020. It is adapted from India’s Most Fearless 3 by journalists Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh and chronicles the bravery of soldiers from the Indian Army’s 16 Bihar Regiment. Salman Khan portrays Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, the regiment’s commanding officer who lost his life during the confrontation with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Officially, India has acknowledged the loss of 20 soldiers in the hand-to-hand combat, one of the deadliest clashes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in decades. China, after initially denying casualties, later admitted to four deaths—figures that have been widely questioned.

Responding to reports that the Chinese state-run Global Times accused the film of misrepresenting facts, Indian government sources said that concerns, if any, could be taken up with the Ministry of Defence, stressing that the government neither controls nor influences the film’s content.

Chinese media articles have claimed that the cinematic depiction does not match Beijing’s version of events and have controversially asserted that Galwan Valley lies on the Chinese side of the LAC—an assertion rejected by India. The reports also attempted to place the blame for the 2020 clash on Indian troops, alleging they crossed the LAC first.

Following the Galwan incident, India significantly strengthened troop deployment and surveillance along the LAC to deter further escalation. Despite diplomatic and military talks since then, the episode continues to shape India-China relations—and now, cultural narratives as well.