Part of Stories That India
Needed to See and Hear
Arhan Bagati’s association with Indian cinema grows from the same place everything else in his life does — a deep belief that Kashmir’s story deserves to be told honestly, and that India’s untold histories deserve their moment in the light. He has not come to filmmaking as a filmmaker, but as a collaborator, an advocate, and a bridge — someone who understands that the right stories, backed by the right people, can change how a nation sees itself.
120 Bahadur: A Tribute Long Overdue
There are stories that deserve to be told — not because they are dramatic, but because they are true, and because the people at the heart of them gave everything they had. 120 Bahadur is one of those stories.
Directed by Razneesh “Razy” Ghai and produced by Excel Entertainment and Trigger Happy, the film tells the story of Major Shaitan Singh and the soldiers of the 13 Kumaon Regiment — 120 jawans who stood their ground at the Battle of Rezang La during the 1962 Sino-Indian War, outnumbered and outgunned, but unbroken. Starring Farhan Akhtar in the lead role, it is both a cinematic achievement and an act of remembrance for a chapter of Indian military history that had waited far too long for its moment on the national stage.
Arhan was associated with the film as associate producer, contributing to efforts around the project and its outreach. The film premiered at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and was declared tax-free in Delhi and Rajasthan — a recognition, from the government and from audiences alike, that this was more than a film. It was a salute.
For Arhan, being part of 120 Bahadur carried a personal weight. He attended the unveiling of a customised “My Stamp” honouring the Rezang La memorial, standing alongside Defence Minister Sh. Rajnath Singh Ji, Sh. Sudhanshu Trivedi ji, Farhan Akhtar, Razneesh ‘Razy’ Ghai and Ritesh Sidhwani. It was a quiet but significant moment — a reminder of why this work matters, and of the responsibility that comes with standing behind stories of sacrifice.
Ground Zero: Kashmir's Story, Told with Honesty
Arhan was associated as co-producer on Ground Zero, an Excel Entertainment action thriller starring Emraan Hashmi. Based on a true story, the film depicts a real operation by the Border Security Force (BSF) against a Jaish-e-Mohammed commander — a gripping account of the sacrifices made by India’s security forces in Kashmir.
Ground Zero held special significance for Arhan and for the Valley. The film’s red carpet premiere at INOX Srinagar was a milestone moment — marking the return of mainstream Bollywood cinema to Kashmir, and a signal to the industry that the Valley was open, vibrant, and ready to reclaim its place on India’s cinematic map.
A Bridge Between
Bollywood and Kashmir
Perhaps Arhan’s most meaningful contribution to Indian cinema has been his role as a connector — between the film industry and the Valley that once inspired generations of Hindi cinema. Through his organisation KYARI, Arhan facilitated the shooting of a large-scale, high-budget Hindi film production in Kashmir by Excel Entertainment, helping bring over 500 cast and crew members from Mumbai and across India for an extended stay in the region.
These efforts are directly aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of strengthening India’s audio-visual ecosystem under the WAVES (World Audio Visual Entertainment Services) framework, which envisions India as a global hub for content creation.
This was a landmark moment: the first time in over three decades that a major Indian production house had been brought to Kashmir in such scale, helping restore confidence in the Valley as a premier filming destination. The ripple effects — on local economies, on employment, on the visibility of Kashmir’s landscapes and culture — extended far beyond the films themselves.
Arhan has also supported high-visibility outreach around these projects — curated screenings, engagements with national media anchors and regional podcasters, and events designed to amplify Kashmir’s authentic narrative and invite further film and cultural investment into the region.
Cinema as Cultural Advocacy
Arhan chairs the Indian Cinema Heritage Foundation’s Cinemaazi Gen X Think Tank, a platform dedicated to preserving and advancing India’s cinematic legacy through the lens of the next generation. In this role, he sits at the intersection of cultural memory and contemporary storytelling — ensuring that India’s film heritage is not only protected but actively championed.
His broader vision for cinema in Kashmir goes hand in hand with his work through KYARI: to present the Valley’s true story to the world — its beauty, its resilience, its warmth — through the most universal language of all. Film, for Arhan, is not something he makes. It is something he believes in — as advocacy, as identity, and as a form of nation-building.
Arhan Bagati’s association with Indian cinema reflects the same conviction that runs through everything he does — that those who have access to powerful platforms carry a responsibility to use them for something meaningful. By supporting films that honour India’s military history and by reopening Kashmir’s doors to the film industry, he is not claiming to have made these stories. He is proud to have helped them reach the people who needed to hear them.