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Maatrubhumi: Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh exit Salman Khan’s Galwan film

Authors Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh have ended their association with Salman Khan’s Maatrubhumi, saying the film has moved beyond their Galwan account.

The Indian Idiot Desk

2 min read4 sources
Salman Khan in a grey T-shirt and blue jeans walking on a Mumbai street, with people and a white car behind him.
Photograph. · Archival photograph: Salman Khan outside his home in Mumbai, May 2018. · Credit: Shrinivaskulkarni1388 / Wikimedia Commons · Image source · License: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Changes: Cropped to the actor, resized and placed on a blurred, darkened copy of the same photo to fill a 1200 × 800 frame; JPEG recompressed. No other visual changes.

A day before the trailer of Salman Khan’s Maatrubhumi is due, the two authors whose book first inspired the film have walked away from it. Defence journalists Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh said on Thursday (5 November) that their association with the film, earlier titled Battle of Galwan, has ended.

“Rahul Singh and I (Shiv Aroor) would like to share that our association with Maatrubhumi (earlier titled Battle of Galwan) has come to a close. As the film has evolved, it has moved beyond the account of the Galwan incident in our India’s Most Fearless series that first brought us on board,” the statement said.

The film, directed by Apoorva Lakhia, was based on the 2020 clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, as told in a chapter of the authors’ book India’s Most Fearless 3, The Hollywood Reporter India reported.

The exit came with warm words. “We are grateful to Salman Khan, Apoorva Lakhia and the entire team for their warmth and the opportunity to be part of this journey. We hold them in the highest regard and wish them the very best as they bring their vision to the screen. Our heartfelt wishes for the film’s success will always be with them,” the authors wrote.

The film’s story has been the subject of talk for weeks. Reports have claimed it went through major reshoots, but sources close to the producers have called those reports baseless. “The film hasn’t changed at all and is being made exactly as planned, with the rumours about script tweaks or re-edits being completely baseless,” a source earlier told SCREEN, according to The Indian Express.

When the title was changed, Lakhia had said the makers had registered both names from the start. “As we went through the journey of making our film, we realised it was never just about a battle. At its heart, the film is about humanity, empathy, and the silent battles our soldiers fight,” he said, as quoted by The Indian Express.

The full title is now Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace. Its trailer is set to be launched on Friday (6 November).

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Behind the story

Read the sources and explore the context for yourself.

  1. Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) on X: A statement from @RahulSinghx & me (5 Nov 2026)x.com
  2. The Indian Express: Maatrubhumi: Authors part ways with Salman Khan film as story moves beyond Galwan (5 Nov 2026)indianexpress.com
  3. The Hollywood Reporter India: Maatrubhumi authors Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh cut ties with Salman Khan’s war drama (5 Nov 2026)hollywoodreporterindia.com
  4. Bollywood Hungama: Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh end association with Salman Khan-starrer Maatrubhumi (5 Nov 2026)bollywoodhungama.com
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