Balakrishna Dabbles With Galwan Conflict Ahead Of Salman Khan?
Though the Galwan conflict is referenced at the beginning, Akhanda 2 is not a war film, says Nandamuri Balakrishna
Nandamuri Balakrishna appears to have touched upon the sensitive Galwan Valley conflict even before Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, albeit in a fictionalised form, through his latest release Akhanda 2.
The film opens with a dramatic backstory involving a Chinese army general who loses his son in a clash with Indian soldiers and vows revenge against India. Bhutanese actor Sangay Tsheltrim essays the role of Xiang Le, a vengeful Chinese general determined to destabilise India by attacking its spiritual foundations. He teams up with another antagonist, portrayed by Saswata Chatterjee, a former Chinese general."
The Chinese villains rope in Indian antagonists, including Aadhi Pinisetty, to unleash a bio-warfare attack during the Maha Kumbh Mela, setting the stage for a high-stakes confrontation with Balakrishna’s Aghora character.
Clarifying the narrative intent, a producer says, “Though the Galwan conflict is referenced at the beginning, Akhanda 2 is not a war film. The core theme revolves around bio-warfare and the protection of Hindu spiritual traditions rather than a direct depiction of the Galwan clashes. However, Balakrishna and director Boyapati deserve kudos for touching such a rare topic in a Telugu film.”
In contrast, the upcoming Bollywood film Battle of Galwan, directed by Apoorva Lakhia and produced by Salman Khan, is a straightforward war action drama inspired directly by the 2020 China–India Galwan Valley skirmishes. The film focuses on the real-life confrontation involving soldiers of the 16 Bihar Regiment, led by Colonel B. Santosh Babu, who engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat with the People’s Liberation Army.
The producer points out, “Salman Khan’s film is directly inspired by real events and the geopolitical tensions surrounding them.”
Director Boyapati Srinu, aiming for a pan-India appeal, chose a mytho-action route by weaving a fictional narrative around an Aghora who ultimately takes on and defeats Chinese generals attempting to undermine India’s bhakti traditions and spiritual ethos.
While Akhanda 2 uses the Galwan backdrop partially, Battle of Galwan promises a grounded, realistic portrayal of one of India’s most intense modern military confrontations, highlighting two very different cinematic approaches to the same geopolitical flashpoint.
