New Delhi: After several changes to its release schedule, Salman Khan’s much-awaited war drama Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace has unveiled its trailer. The film is based on the 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops.
“Should I release it today or tomorrow? Whatever you plan to do tomorrow, do it today; whatever you plan to do today, do it now. Enjoy the trailer,” Khan wrote while sharing it on X.
The more than four-minute trailer, released on Tuesday, opens with snow-covered Ladakh, where Khan’s character volunteers for a challenging military assignment despite his family’s concerns. Chitrangda Singh plays his wife, who worries about his safety as he prepares to leave for the border.
In one scene, Khan’s character bids farewell to his young son and tells him that soldiers do not say goodbye but salute. He also reminds his family that while their son has his mother to protect him, the motherland has her sons guarding her.
The trailer then shifts to the border, where Indian troops discover Chinese forces setting up tents and a patrolling post. Khan’s character initially attempts to defuse the situation through dialogue, telling his men that bravery is not always about fighting but also about preventing a war.
The trailer features dialogues such as “Ek Bihari, sau pe bhaari”, delivered by Khan, and Singh’s line, “Jab bhi ghar laut kar aao na, sirf kahaniyan lekar aana, nishaan nahi”.
Directed by Apoorva Lakhia and produced by Salman Khan Films, the film also attempts to move beyond the conventional war drama by questioning the consequences of armed conflict. In one scene, Khan’s character suggests that if those who declare wars were made to fight alongside soldiers on the front lines, there would be no wars.
The film had attracted attention even before the trailer’s release, following reports that its storyline and portrayal of the India-China conflict had prompted changes to the script. At a special media screening in Mumbai on 6 November, Khan addressed the speculation and clarified that the film was not intended to be anti-China.
He also dismissed reports that the government had pressured the makers to rewrite the script.
“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,” Khan said.
Fans flooded the comments section with praise for the trailer and excitement about the film.
“Kya script ne palti maari hai..Full bhaichara type bana daala.,bhai ne efforts toh diye hai dialogue change huwe hai lg rha trailer dekh k (Has the script taken a complete turn? They have made it all about brotherhood. Bhai has put in the effort, but it seems the dialogues have changed after watching the trailer),” one user wrote.
“Bhai 1500cr+ loading kisi ka baap bhi nahi rok sakta, Love You (Bhai, Rs 1,500 crore-plus loading. Nobody can stop it. Love you),” another commented.
“That’s what you call a trailer worth watching!” a third user wrote.
“Bhai is back in action after long time in theatre first day first show (Bhai is back in action after a long time. First day, first show in theatres),” another user commented.
The film’s release date has been changed several times. Initially expected to arrive in January, it was subsequently pushed to June, August and 20 November before the makers settled on 4 December.
(Edited By Raunaq Lekhi)