Neither April nor June, sources say Salman Khan’s ‘Maatrubhumi’ release in limbo despite the makers removing China references and shifting tonality to a human drama
Salman Khan in the film. Pic/Youtube
What was once positioned as one of the year’s biggest releases has now become a project shrouded in uncertainty. Salman Khan’s Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace was said to release in April and then apparently pushed to June. Now, the latest buzz is that the war drama — originally envisioned as a retelling of the 2020 Indo-China Galwan Valley clash — is stuck in limbo amid mounting regulatory complications.
Sources have told mid-day that the film, despite being rechristened and its tone reworked, is no closer to reaching viewers. Apparently, the makers have not submitted it to the Central Board of Film Certification yet. “At this stage, after making the necessary changes, the team is trying to understand what would be the next steps to ensure its smooth release. No department, whether the Ministry of Defence, the Army, or the CBFC, has seen the film yet,” revealed a source.
Apoorva Lakhia. Pic/Instagram
Trouble began right after the first teaser was launched in December 2025, which elicited sharp reactions from Chinese state-affiliated media, including Global Times that accused the film of “distorting facts”. Sources said that in February, the Indian government authorities informally advised the makers to remove explicit references to China and the Galwan conflict, citing India’s improving relations with its neighbouring country. A few weeks later, Khan unveiled the new title — Maatrubhumi. This was followed by rumours that director Apoorva Lakhia is reshooting parts of the war drama.
The source clarified, “Maatrubhumi has not been rewritten from scratch or reshot. In the Mumbai leg, the team shot additional parts depicting family sequences and love stories of a few supporting characters. Now, the makers have shifted the film’s focus on family and relationships, making it a human drama. That said, a bit of the war portions have been retained. But if you remove references to China and Galwan, what is the conflict about? That’s the central question they’re grappling with.”
Mar 16
When ‘Battle of Galwan’ was rechristened ‘Maatrubhumi’
Did you know?
‘Mera Desh’ was the other title the makers were considering. They renamed it ‘Maatrubhumi’ since the song, with the same title, was a hit by then
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