Political commentator and former Bigg Boss participant Tehseen Poonawalla has issued a strong rebuttal to online critics targeting Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. The backlash began after the release of the teaser for the upcoming film 'Battle of Galwan' in December 2025.
The Source of the Controversy
Shortly after the teaser debuted online earlier this month, a segment of social media users launched a trolling campaign against Salman Khan. Their criticism focused on a brief scene where the actor, portraying a soldier, is seen with a slight smile. Many detractors argued that this expression was inappropriate for a film based on the serious and somber real-life event of the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, where 20 Indian soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice.
Poonawalla's Robust Defense on Social Media
Amid the growing online noise, Tehseen Poonawalla took to his X (formerly Twitter) account on December 29, 2025, to defend the actor's portrayal. He asserted that the trolls were completely misunderstanding the scene's intent.
In his post, Poonawalla explained that the smile was not a sign of casualness or disrespect. Instead, he interpreted it as a display of a soldier's supreme composure and calm aggression. He described it as the look of a warrior who fully comprehends the gravity of the situation ahead yet remains unshaken in the face of the enemy.
"Those trolling Salman for that slight smile in the #BattleOfGalwan teaser are missing the point. That isn't casual - it's composure. It's calm aggression," Poonawalla wrote. He further elaborated, "It's the look of a soldier who understands what he's walking into and refuses to panic when the enemy is right in front of him."
Context of Courage and Acceptance
Poonawalla connected the actor's expression to the profound mindset of a soldier on the battlefield. He emphasized that for a soldier, there are only two outcomes—victory for the nation or personal sacrifice—and both are considered a form of victory.
He referenced powerful dialogue from the teaser to support his point: "Jawaano yaad rahe, zakham lage toh medal samajhna aur maut dikhe toh salaam karna... Aaj nahi toh phir kabhi. Maut se kya darna, usse toh aana hi hai." Poonawalla concluded, "That smile isn't weakness. It's acceptance. It's courage. If the film keeps this tone, there's serious potential here."
The film is based on the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh. The violent face-off, which occurred along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), resulted in significant casualties and led to a major escalation in border tensions. In its aftermath, the Indian Army bolstered its deployments in the region and intensified surveillance activities to deter further aggression.
Actress Chitrangda Singh is cast opposite Salman Khan in this high-profile project, which is poised to be one of the most talked-about films of the coming year.
