Raashii Khanna reflects on the profound impact of ‘120 Bahadur’, a war drama that deeply moved her. A highlight was meeting Rekha, who praised the film’s emotional honesty and Raashii’s portrayal of resilience. Preparing for the role involved connecting with the soldier’s family, transforming the character into a profound responsibility and one of her most challenging yet grounding experiences.
Fresh off the release of Farhan Akhtar’s war drama ‘120 Bahadur’, Raashii Khanna is still carrying the emotional weight, the unexpected joys-that came with the film. For her, the journey has been as moving as the response. One of the moments etched permanently in her heart came right after the premiere, when she crossed paths with Bollywood legend Rekha. Raashii recalls the encounter with a mixture of disbelief and affection.Raashii Khanna reminisces about meeting Rekha after ‘120 Bahadur’Khanna opened up saying, “That moment was incredibly special for me,” she says. “Rekhaji had tears in her eyes as she walked out of the theatre. I asked her if I could hug her, but she asked me if she could hug me instead.”The veteran actress didn’t hold back her admiration. “She said she was very moved. She spoke about the emotional honesty of the film and told me she could feel the pain and resilience of the woman even in my silences. Coming from an icon like her, that validation meant a lot.” For Raashii, it was not just praise—it was a moment of artistic acknowledgement she will carry forever.120 Bahadur is based on the lesser known battle of Rezang La that was fought between 120 Indian soldiers and 3000 Chinese soldiers during the Indo-Sino war of 1962. The war was led by Shaitan Singh Bhati played by Farhan Akhtar and Raashi played his wife Sugan Shaitan Singh Bhati.For Raashii, the turning point as an actor came before the cameras even rolled.More about Raashii Khanna’s experience working on ‘Bahadur 120’“Yes, I did meet the family,” she explains, “and that completely changed the emotional weight of the role for me. Until then, it was a character on paper, but after that, it became a responsibility.” Hearing stories, absorbing memories, and sensing the void left behind by the war transformed her understanding of the woman she was portraying.“Listening to their memories, understanding her world, her losses, and her quiet strength helped me internalise her beyond performance,” she says. “Creatively, I focused on restraint because real grief is not loud. Emotionally, it was one of the hardest roles I have done but also the most grounding.”120 Bahadur also marks Raashii’s first collaboration with Farhan Akhtar, an experience she describes as creatively fulfilling. “Working with Farhan sir was very enriching. He brings a rare combination of sensitivity and intensity to his performances,” she says. On set, his deep focus and calm presence created an atmosphere that pushed her to rise to the emotional beats of the narrative.“Since this was such an emotionally charged story, having a co-actor who is so honest in his process made the experience even more fulfilling,” she adds.Raashii has a list of projects line dup from Farzii 2 with Shahid Kapoor to Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh to Talakhon Mein Ek with Vikrnt Massey to a web show .
