Salman Khan's Maatrubhumi 'sanitised', references to China removed and 40% film reshot after diktat from centre: Report

Salman Khan's war drama Maatrubhumi, earlier called Battle of Galwan, is now removing all references to China, as per a new report.

Salman Khan’s upcoming war drama, Maatrubhumi, has seen its fair share of changes over the last few weeks. Till March, the film was titled Battle of Galwan and was said to be based on the real clash in Galwan Valley between the Indian and Chinese forces. But now, reports say that not only has the title been changed, but references to China and the Galwan Valley have also been removed from the film, with extensive reshoots underway.

Salman Khan in a still from the Maatrubhumi, earlier titled Battle of Galwan.

Salman Khan’s war drama being reshot

A Bollywood Hungama report quoted a source close to the development, saying this was done as per a directive from the Ministry of Defence, which feels that portraying China as an adversary is not the right call, as relations between the two countries have improved.

“Earlier, the film was inspired by a real event. But as per the request of the Ministry of Defence, Salman Khan and director Apoorva Lakhia reshot the film by adding a fictional spin to the story. Accordingly, he reshot nearly 40% of the film as he added some romantic scenes, backstory, etc. The makers submitted the new cut, hoping that they would get the NOC. But the Ministry still has apprehensions,” the source was quoted as saying in the report.

The report also said that the Ministry has requested that China not be mentioned in the film at all. The source added, “One of the requests to Salman Khan is that China shouldn’t be mentioned in the film. This was communicated to the makers in advance. The cut of Maatrubhumi, which was submitted earlier this month, has no mention of China.” Extensive reshoots of the film are underway to ‘sanitise’ the film, the report added.

Opposition from Chinese media

The film’s teaser, released in December, showed Salman leading his troops in a close combat battle against Chinese forces in Eastern Ladakh. It was touted to be based on the clash between Indian soldiers and Chinese troops at the Galwan Valley in 2020. The teaser sparked controversy when state-backed media in China, particularly the Global Times, claimed that it "distorts facts" and fuels anti-China sentiment.

All about Maatrubhumi

Produced by Salma Khan under the banner of Salman Khan Films and directed by Apoorva Lakhia, Maatrubhumi stars Salman as an Indian Army Colonel. The makers say that the film now aims to present an unflinching portrayal of courage, sacrifice, and resilience, while balancing the intensity of conflict with the intimacy of love and family. No release date has been announced yet.