Govt clears Salman's Maatrubhumi: I&B NOC after anti-China reshoots

Salman Khan's war drama ‘Maatrubhumi’ has had a bumpy road to the screen. Along the way, it went through a title change, drew mixed reactions to its teaser, was pushed back several times, and more recently faced doubts about whether it would be released at all.

According to a new report, though, those troubles are behind it, and the film may finally arrive in theatres as soon as next month.

I&B Ministry issues NOC for ‘Maatrubhumi’ after reshoots

Earlier reports suggested that ‘Maatrubhumi’, which originally centered on the Galwan clash between Indian and Chinese troops, was either shelved or delayed because the government was wary of how it depicted China. Bollywood Hungama now reports that the I&B Ministry is "satisfied" with the revised cut and issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) last week.

The film reportedly went through a round of reshoots after the Defence Ministry took issue with its strongly anti-China tone.

The new version is said to be heavily changed from the original, and it now presents India-China relations in a more positive light.

What is ‘Maatrubhumi’ about?

‘Maatrubhumi: May War Rest In Peace’ is directed by Apoorva Lakhia and produced by Salma Khan under Salman Khan Films, with Chitrangada Singh also playing a key role. Earlier called Battle of Galwan, the film was renamed earlier this year. It was originally inspired by the 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers, but all mentions of China were reportedly removed after the reshoots.

‘Maatrubhumi’ release date still awaited

The film was first scheduled to hit theatres in April, but its release was later pushed back, and the makers have yet to reveal a new date. They also dismissed earlier reports that the project had been shelved.