Ankur Bhatia steps into one of his most demanding roles yet with Battle of Galwan, the Salman Khan-starrer inspired by real events that remain etched in national memory. For Ankur, the experience was less about performance and more about responsibility. “A lot of the groundwork had already been done by our director, Apoorva Lakhia. He had carried out extensive research and guided us closely. As actors, our job was to absorb that preparation and translate it honestly on screen,” he says.Preparation extended well beyond memorising lines. “We underwent military training where we learned everything from salutes and body language to smaller details — how a soldier stands, walks, and even ties his shoelaces. Those details may seem minor, but they change the way you inhabit the uniform,” Ankur says. He adds that his approach to the role was to keep the emotions grounded. “Being in Ladakh — with the silence, the altitude and the isolation — naturally puts you in a certain headspace. My effort was to stay present and truthful rather than overplay the emotion,” he shares.Battle of Galwan also marks his first collaboration with Salman Khan. “Working with Salman sir was a significant moment for me. Watching him perform up close was a learning experience,” he says. The film also reunites him with Lakhia, who gave him his first break in Hindi cinema. “That creates a bond beyond just work. Every time we collaborate, I feel a responsibility to justify the trust he has shown in me as an actor,” says Ankur.
