Salman Khan has announced that his upcoming war drama, Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace, will release in theatres across India on December 4. The actor also spoke about the reasons behind the film's delayed release, saying the team wanted to ensure that its visual effects met expectations.
Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, the film is inspired by the May 2020 military standoff in eastern Ladakh and the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley.
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Speaking at a promotional event on Friday, Salman said the delay was largely due to the VFX work. He explained that with experts closely examining film visuals, the team wanted every shot to stand up to scrutiny.
“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.
Salman added that the team had initially expected to complete the film in 45-50 days, but an injury to co-star Chitrangda Singh affected the schedule. The film was first expected to release in January or June, before its date was pushed to August. November 20 was also considered, but the VFX work was not ready at the time.
The film's official trailer is expected to be released a couple of days after the promotional event.
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Salman Denies Government, CBFC Pressure
Salman plays Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, who died along with 19 other soldiers of the 16 Bihar Regiment during the June 2020 Galwan clash, which severely strained India-China ties.
Addressing reports that the makers were asked to tone down anti-China elements, Salman said, “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.”
Salman added, “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.”
Salman Khan On The Film's Story
The film's first teaser, released on Salman's 60th birthday in December last year, was criticised by China's Global Times for allegedly exaggerating and distorting facts.
Salman said, “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.”
“I did not want to make a biopic. It is an inspired story. I wanted to show the physical confrontation, the one-on-one scuffle, rather than the wider consequences of war,” Salman said.
Recalling advice from his father, Salman said, “In a war, a bullet reaches its target, but it also reaches a mother's heart.”
“I don't think a Chinese would watch a Salman Khan film and say, ‘Let's attack India.' Nor would our armed forces watch a Jackie Chan film and say, ‘Let's attack China,'” he said.“You know that thing clapperboard. We had added it just like that. 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 (Reshammiya) song. So thank you, Himesh,” Salman said.
[With PTI Inputs]
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