'Not an anti-China film: Salman Khan on Maatrubhumi script rewrite rumors, government pressure

At the trailer launch of Maatrubhumi, Salman Khan revealed that the film was delayed due to extensive VFX work and Chitrangda Singh's injury. The actor also dismissed reports of script changes and said the movie was passed by the CBFC without any cuts.

Salman Khan is gearing up for the release of his war drama Maatrubhumi: May War Rest In Peace, which is based on the 2020-2021 China-India skirmishes. At the trailer launch of the film, Salman addressed the narrative surrounding its subject, clarifying that it was never intended to be an anti-China film. He also spoke about the several delays that pushed its release and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) clearance.

Salman Khan says Maatrubhumi is not an anti-China film

Talking about Maatrubhumi, Salman Khan said, "Maatrumbhumi is not a biopic. When in war, a bullet reaches its target, it reaches the mother's heart, and I didn't want to do that. I just wanted a film where there is man-on-man fight. There are Chinese in the film, and us. So the narrative derived from it was that this film will sour the India-China relationship. I don't think that because of a Salman Khan war film that the Chinese army will say, 'Salman has made a film, now attack India over this' or let's reverse it - If Jackie Chan makes a film, I don't think our army will say, 'Jackie Chan has made a film, let's attack them.'"

Salman has previously been part of films such as Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which explored the relationship between India and Pakistan and spoke about unity across borders. Asked why he chose to make a film based on the on the 2020-2021 China-India skirmishes, the actor dismissed speculation that the film's narrative had been changed due to political pressure.

He said, "This narrative that we are going against China or our government has pressurised us into changing the script, rewrite it -- all of this is baseless. It's not true at all. We've made a film on soldiers, about what their families and the soldiers go through, on both sides. So, there are no negative forces in the film. It's just the situations, they are negative."

Salman Khan explains why Maatrubhumi was delayed

Maatrubhumi has undergone several changes to its release schedule, with Salman Khan attributing the delay primarily to the extensive visual effects work. The actor said the team wants to ensure that the film meets the audience's expectations on the big screen. He explained, "This film is delayed because of the much-talked-about VFX. We don't want to leave any room for anyone to zoom in and say that the VFX isn't great. We want that when the movie is out for the audience, it should visually blow everyone's mind. Hence, the delay."

Another reason behind the delay was the injury suffered by the film's leading lady, Chitrangda Singh, which affected the shooting schedule. Recalling the original plan, Salman said, "We thought that we'll complete the film within 45-50 days but madam (Chitrangda) got injured and the physiotherapy took a long time. We were initially supposed to release in January or June, then it got delayed to August, then November 20 but now we are coming on December 4. When the film gets delayed, the interest level starts to disappear, that was the only thing we were worried about."

Salman Khan says Maatrubhumi has been passed without cuts

Calling Maatrubhumi "a noble film", the actor said, "There was one narrative which was a wrong. When the Censor Board and all the other agencies saw it, they didn't think anything was wrong with the film. This film has come out without any cuts. So, thank you to all the ministries, the censor board."

The film was earlier referred to as Battle of Galwan Valley, but its title was eventually changed to Maatrubhumi. Explaining how the new title came about, Salman said, "It was casually written on the clapboard. We were always sure that we didn't want this title. Eventually, we got the final title (Maatrubhumi) from our song itself."

Salman Khan on Maatrubhumi's rising budget

With the film's release getting pushed several times, questions have also been raised about the impact of the delays on its production budget. However, Salman Khan maintained that the expenses were not a concern for him as long as the final product meets expectations and audiences appreciate it.

He said, "Expenses don't bother me at all. As long as the product is great and people like it, this 150, 200, 300 doesn't matter. That expense is our expense, none of your expenditure."

Helmed by Apoorva Lakhia and produced by Salman Khan Films, Maatrubhumi is scheduled to release in theatres on December 4, 2026.