Delhi High Court allows release of film ’72 Hours- Martyrs Who Never Died’

New Delhi, Jan 22: A film based on the life of a 1962 Sino-Indian war hero was released on Friday after the Delhi High Court gave its green light to it by saying the man’s family members could not claim breach of their privacy as they had consented to the making of the film in 2015. Justice Vibhu Bakhru said there were “no reasons to interdict the release” of the film — ’72 Hours – Martyr who never died’ — based on the life of Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, who was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for gallantry during the 1962 war.

Rawat’s family members had moved the court against the release of the film, claiming that it had invaded their and Rawat’s privacy. Besides, they had also sought royalty from Sandhya Entertainment, the producer of the film, and demanded that the actor playing Rawat’s role be changed. The production house told the court that the family’s consent was taken in 2015 and the film was made on the basis of the information given by them.

After watching the film, Singh told the court there was no content in it that was defamatory or derogatory to Rawat and his family. Taking note of all the submissions, the court said it “finds no reason to interdict the release of the said movie”.

For his gallantry, he was still being honoured with promotions, the most recent one being of a Major General, it had said. It had also said the post which Rawat had defended against the Chinese Army was now named as Jaswant Garh and there was a room nearby where his personal belongings were still kept safe.