No govt pressure, no censor cuts on Maatrubhumi, says Salman Khan; film to release Dec 4

Superstar Salman Khan on Friday dismissed reports that his upcoming war drama Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace had undergone script changes following pressure from the government or the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), announcing that the much-delayed film would finally release in theatres on December 4.

Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, the film is inspired by the 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops. Salman, who plays Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, said the film had been cleared by the censor board without any cuts and that reports suggesting government interference were baseless.

"So, this narrative that we are going against China and that our government has pressured us to change and rewrite the script is all nonsense. It is not true at all," the actor told reporters at a promotional event.

The film, earlier titled Battle of Galwan, had faced repeated postponements amid speculation that its portrayal of the India-China military confrontation had prompted objections.

𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀

Salman said neither the government nor the CBFC had demanded changes to the film's storyline, contrary to reports that the makers were advised to tone down certain anti-China elements.

"When the censor board and all the other agencies watched the film, they did not find anything wrong with it. So, the film has been released without any cuts. I would like to thank all the ministries and the censor board," he said.

The actor maintained that the film did not portray either country negatively and instead focused on the experiences of soldiers and their families during military confrontations.

"There are no negative forces in the film. It is just the circumstances that are negative. The soldiers may like each other, but when a situation arises, the nation comes first. Both sides are trying to resolve the situation," he said.

𝗩𝗙𝗫 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀

Explaining the postponements, Salman said the production team wanted the film's visual effects to meet high standards, particularly at a time when audiences closely scrutinise technical details.

"Today, there are a lot of VFX experts out there who examine each and every shot of a film. So, with this film, we don't want to give anyone an opportunity to zoom in on a scene and criticise its VFX. We want this film to visually blow everyone's mind. It is a beautifully shot film," he said.

The actor revealed that the team had initially expected to complete the film in 45 to 50 days, but production was affected after co-star Chitrangda Singh suffered an injury and required time to recover.

"We were earlier supposed to release the film in either January or June, but it was then pushed to August. Now, we will release it on December 4," Salman said.

The makers had subsequently considered a November 20 release, but additional visual effects work necessitated another postponement. Salman said the official trailer would be unveiled in the coming days.

𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵

Maatrubhumi draws inspiration from the military confrontation in eastern Ladakh in 2020, which significantly strained diplomatic relations between India and China.

Twenty Indian Army personnel, including Colonel Santosh Babu of the 16 Bihar Regiment, were killed in the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

Salman plays a character based on Santosh Babu but clarified that the film was not intended as a conventional biographical drama.

Instead, he said, the narrative concentrates on the physical confrontation between soldiers and the emotional experiences of those involved, rather than the broader political and military consequences of war.

Recalling advice from his father, veteran screenwriter Salim Khan, Salman said, "In a war, a bullet reaches its target, but it also reaches a mother's heart."

The actor said he wanted the film to depict a direct confrontation without presenting war as a conflict driven by hatred between ordinary soldiers.

𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘆

The film's first teaser, unveiled on Salman's 60th birthday in December last year, had drawn criticism from China's state-run Global Times, which accused the production of exaggerating events and distorting facts.

Responding to concerns that the film could affect bilateral relations, Salman said he did not believe cinema could provoke military confrontation between the two countries.

"I don't believe that the Chinese would look at a film made by Salman Khan and say, 'He has made a film against us, let's attack India,' or the other way around where our armed forces would say, 'Jackie Chan has made a film, let's go and attack China,'" he said.

The actor reiterated that the film's central theme was the human experience of conflict and the circumstances that place soldiers on opposing sides.

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱

Addressing the decision to rename the film from Battle of Galwan to Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace, Salman said the original title had always been temporary.

He explained that the filmmakers eventually selected Maatrubhumi from a song composed by Himesh Reshammiya for the film.

"We knew we did not want to retain that title. We wanted a different one, and we eventually found the title in one of our songs, 'Maatrubhumi'. It is a Himesh (Reshamiya) song. So thank you, Himesh," Salman said.

Produced under the banner Salman Khan Films, Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace is now scheduled to arrive in cinemas nationwide on December 4.