Salman Khan's Maatrubhumi receives first review by Subhash Ghai: 'A must watch film'

Dubai: Salman Khan's much-anticipated film Maatrubhumi has received its first word of mouth, and it comes from one of Bollywood's most respected voices.

Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai recently watched a rough cut of the film alongside an impressive gathering that included Kabir Khan, Sooraj Barjatya, Riteish Deshmukh, David Dhawan and Chitrangda Singh. Taking to X afterwards, Ghai called it "a must watch film," describing it as being based on "a warm story of Indo-China soldiers with their respective emotions for their nations and families."

Title change

The early praise will come as welcome news for a production that has faced more than its share of turbulence. Originally titled Battle of Galwan and slated to release on April 17, the film was delayed amid controversy after its teaser drew criticism from China's Global Times, which accused the makers of distorting facts. India's Ministry of External Affairs also clarified it had no involvement in the project.

The film is built around the 2020 Galwan Valley clash in eastern Ladakh, a confrontation in which 20 Indian Army personnel lost their lives and which significantly damaged India-China relations. The title was eventually changed to Maatrubhumi to broaden the film's narrative scope and ease some of the geopolitical friction surrounding it. Reports of reshoots followed shortly after.

What it took to make it

Director Apoorva Lakhia's film required Salman to push himself harder than he has in recent memory. Speaking to PTI earlier, the actor was candid about the physical demands of the shoot. He described training extensively for months, running, working out, and preparing for action sequences that were unlike anything he had done before.

The toughest part was the Ladakh schedule. Salman revealed he had to shoot for at least eight days in freezing cold water during a 20-day stint at high altitude. "Shooting in Ladakh, at high altitude, is extremely difficult," he said, adding that blacking out mid-scene simply was not an option and required serious preparation beforehand.

A release date is yet to be confirmed following the earlier delays.