Who inspired Salman Khan’s ‘Battle of Galwan’ character? All you need to know about B Santosh Babu

‘Battle of Galwan’ is Salman Khan's upcoming film, which is based on true events and has been inspired by real-life war heroes. During the Indo-Sino War, Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu MVC was one of the martyred heroes who bravely defended the country. He plays the inspiration behind the veteran actor’s character on the big screen. Here is all you need to know about the Indian soldier.

Inspiration behind ‘Battle of Galwan’

The film itself found its inspiration from the book ‘India's Most Fearless 3’, written by authors Rahul Singh and Shiv Aroor. The official synopsis of the book reads that the book “features ten true stories of extraordinary courage and fearlessness, providing glimpses of the heroism Indian soldiers have displayed in unthinkably hostile conditions and under grave provocation.”




Holding exclusive accounts of the Galwan Clash, the film’s main character was inspired by Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu MVC, who is said to have been leading the mission, and was one of the 20 martyred soldiers on the field during the clash.

About Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu MVC

Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu MVC was the official commanding officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment. In 2020, they had been deployed in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh. He had been given the responsibility to set up an observation post during Operation Snow Leopard.

In June 2020, there were clashes between Indian and Chinese troops, where the soldiers fiercely combated the opposing side, with many of them engaging in hand-to-hand combat as well. Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu MVC lost his life and was among the 20 soldiers who had passed away because of the war, as he had sustained injuries and had fallen into freezing waters.

After his passing, former Indian president Ram Nath Govind posthumously awarded him with the second highest galantry award, the Maha Vir Chakra.

Premise of ‘Battle of Galwan’

The official synopsis for ‘Battle of Galwan’ reads “Based on the events that took place between the Indian and Chinese troops at the Galwan region on June 15, 2020 when 200 Indian soldiers bravely defended their territory against a force of 1200 Chinese Liberation Army soldiers.” Other than Salman Khan, the film also stars Chitrangada Singh, Abhilash Chaudhary, Ankur Bhatia, Zeyn Shaw, Vipin Bhardwaj, and many others.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”