Galwan 2.0: Dragon attacks Tiger

One could hardly have imagined that a certain Bhaijaan ensconced in Bandra's Galaxy apartments would end up making Beijing see red.

- FPJ News Service

Yet that is precisely what the Salman Khan-starrer Battle of Galwan has managed to do. India, however, responded with a collective yawn — and a reminder that cinema, inconvenient as it may sometimes be, is still art. On Tuesday, New Delhi underlined to selected media that artistic freedom is a protected and integral part of India's democratic framework, pushing back against criticism from Chinese state media over the film. Government sources stressed that filmmakers in India are free to exercise creative expression, however uncomfortable it may make foreign capitals, and that the government has no role in shaping, scripting or vetting cinematic narratives.

In other words, while Beijing may see provocation, India sees popcorn, a projector — and the Constitution doing its job.