Nepali actor Anoop Bikram Shahi, right, faces Salman Khan as a Chinese army major in Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace. The film marks Shahi’s Bollywood debut.
Anoop Bikram Shahi Faces Salman Khan in Maatrubhumi Trailer
Nepali actor Anoop Bikram Shahi stands across the battlefield from Salman Khan in the newly released trailer of Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace. Playing a Chinese army major opposite the Bollywood star, Shahi takes on a central confrontation in the war drama that marks his Bollywood debut.
The trailer introduces a story of soldiers facing each other in the mountains, with duty, family and the human cost of conflict running through its action. Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, the film is scheduled to reach cinemas on December 4, 2026.
For Nepali audiences, Shahi’s presence brings a familiar face into a major Hindi film. Known for Nepali films including Hasiya and Kri, as well as his appearance on Himalayan Roadies, he now shares the screen with an actor whose films he grew up watching.
Opponents on screen, a moment of respect off screen
The trailer places Khan and Shahi on opposing sides of a tense military confrontation. Khan plays an Indian Army officer, while Shahi portrays a major in China’s People’s Liberation Army. Their characters face the pressures of command as the situation around them turns increasingly dangerous.
That on-screen opposition follows a very different moment between the actors in Mumbai.
At the film’s press preview on November 6, Khan extended his hand as Shahi joined him for photographs. Shahi bent down to touch his feet in a gesture of respect before the two shared a hug.
The encounter offered a personal glimpse into Shahi’s Bollywood debut. At the preview, he spoke about watching Khan’s films while growing up and still feeling nervous working with him.
Shahi has also recalled Khan asking about Nepal and its culture during breaks in the first schedule of filming in Ladakh. For an actor moving from Nepali cinema into a Hindi production, those conversations became part of an experience he described with pride.
The public release of the trailer now shifts attention from that off-screen meeting to the characters they play.
A war drama with family at its centre
Running approximately four minutes and 35 seconds, the trailer moves between military life, family moments and clashes in a harsh mountain setting.
Khan appears as an officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment. Chitrangda Singh plays his wife, and scenes with their children establish the family life behind his uniform. Those quieter exchanges give the later battlefield sequences a personal context: the soldiers heading into danger have people waiting for them at home.
The preview then turns to border tensions and close combat, bringing Shahi’s Chinese officer into the conflict. The film’s promotional message, however, also stresses humanity and the hope for peace.
Inspired by the 2020 Galwan Valley confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops, the project was previously called Battle of Galwan. Khan has clarified that the film is an inspired story rather than a biopic.
Speaking at the Mumbai preview, he described its focus as the experiences of soldiers and their families on both sides. He also rejected speculation that government pressure had forced the team to rewrite the story.
Produced by Salma Khan under Salman Khan Films, Maatrubhumi brings together battlefield action and the emotional consequences of military duty. Ravi Basrur is credited with its background score and sound design.
For Shahi, the December release will introduce his work to a wider Hindi-film audience. For viewers in Nepal, the trailer offers an early look at a familiar actor stepping into a new industry and facing Salman Khan across the screen.
Watch the official Maatrubhumi trailer.
