Who was Colonel Santosh Babu? 37-year-old war hero of 2020 Galwan valley clash and inspiration behind Salman Khan’s character in Battle of Galwan

Colonel Santosh Babu and Salman Khan at the Battle of Galwan

Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu was a serving officer in the Indian Army whose death during the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020 marked one of the most serious military clashes between India and China in decades. He was 37 at the time and commanded the 16 Bihar Regiment deployed in eastern Ladakh amid rising tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Salman Khan will be playing a character inspired by him in the upcoming war drama Battle of Galwan.

Born on February 13, 1983, in Suryapet, Telangana, Santosh Babu joined the Indian Army after training at the National Defense Academy and the Indian Military Academy. Deployed in 2004, his service record included counter-insurgency missions in Jammu and Kashmir and operational roles in difficult terrain as part of the Rashtriya Rifles, a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He took charge of the 16 Bihar Regiment in December 2019, just months before the Ladakh conflict escalated.

On the night of June 15, 2020, Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed in the Galwan Valley following a disagreement over disengagement at a patrol post. In accordance with existing border agreements, firearms were not used and the conflict involved close quarters combat. Unarmed soldiers on both sides engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat in the high-altitude desert, using improvised weapons such as sticks and stones.

Colonel Santosh Babu was seriously injured during the encounter and was killed during the encounter along with 19 other Indian soldiers. In recognition of his actions during the incident, Colonel Santosh Babu was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra award, India’s second highest wartime gallantry award, in 2021.

Salman Khan’s Battle of Galwan is inspired by the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict but is not a biopic of Colonel Babu. A source close to the production told Hindustan Times, “Salman Khan’s Galwan is not a biopic of Colonel Santosh Babu. The film is based on real events of the Galwan Valley conflict. Salman Khan, who is known for conveying strong messages about humanity through his films, is expected to present a strong human perspective in the climax of the film.” The Apoorva Lakhia directorial will release in theaters on April 17, 2026.

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