Published : 11 Nov 2026, 12:15 PM
Updated : 11 Nov 2026, 12:22 PM
The trailer of the Salman Khan-starring "Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace" offers a glimpse of a tense border confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops, fierce hand-to-hand combat and the emotional sacrifices made by soldiers and their families.
Released on Tuesday, the 4-minute-35-second trailer gives audiences their first full-length look at the war drama inspired by the 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese forces, writes Indian Express.
Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, the film features Salman as an officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment, portraying a soldier torn between his responsibilities towards his country and his love for his family. Chitrangada Singh plays his wife.
The trailer opens with sweeping shots of the snow-covered landscapes of Eastern Ladakh before introducing Salman's character, who volunteers for a difficult assignment despite his family's concerns.
In an emotional exchange with his young son before leaving, he reminds the boy that soldiers do not say goodbye but salute. He also reassures his family that while their son has his mother to protect him, the motherland has her sons guarding her.
The story then moves to the border, where Indian troops discover Chinese forces setting up tents and a patrolling post across the disputed area.
Salman's character initially attempts to defuse the situation through dialogue, telling his men that courage is not always about fighting but also about preventing a war.
However, tensions rise when the opposing troops outnumber the Indian patrol and demand that they retreat. Refusing to back down, the officer declares, "We are soldiers, we are made for days like these!"
The confrontation soon turns into a brutal hand-to-hand fight.
Alongside the action sequences, the trailer focuses on the emotional toll of military service on soldiers and their families.
In one scene, Chitrangada's character makes an emotional appeal to her husband: "Whenever you return home, bring back stories, not scars.”
The film also questions the cost of war. Salman's character suggests that if those who declare wars had to fight alongside soldiers on the front lines, there would be no wars.
The trailer concludes with a message of peace, as he says, "Humanity and patriotism are not about destroying the enemy, but about ending enmity.”
Film Not Anti-China: Salman
The trailer was earlier screened for the media at a special event in Mumbai on Nov 6, where Salman addressed speculation surrounding the film's subject.
He clarified that the project was not intended to be anti-China and was not a biopic.
"'Maatrubhumi' 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," he said.
Rejecting concerns that the film could affect India-China relations, Salman compared the situation to a hypothetical war film made by Chinese actor Jackie Chan.
He also dismissed reports that the filmmakers had been pressured by the government to change or 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," he said.
According to Salman, the film explores the experiences of soldiers and their families on both sides of the conflict. He said the negative elements in the story were the circumstances rather than any particular group of people.
Salman also spoke about the repeated delays in the film's release, attributing them mainly to the time required to complete the visual effects and Chitrangada's injury.
He said the filmmakers wanted to ensure that the visual effects met audience expectations and left no room for criticism.
