Prashant Tamang in a still from Maatrubhumi, left, and performing on stage. The Indian Idol 2007 winner appears posthumously in the Salman Khan film following his death on January 11, 2026.
Prashant Tamang Appears in Maatrubhumi Trailer, Ten Months After His Death
Ten months after his death, singer and actor Prashant Tamang appears in the newly released trailer of Salman Khan’s Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace. The Indian Idol Season 3 winner had filmed for the war drama before he died on January 11, 2026, at the age of 43.
The trailer offers a glimpse of Tamang’s posthumous screen appearance in the Apoorva Lakhia film. For audiences who followed his journey from a singing competition to Nepali cinema and Hindi streaming shows, his presence adds a personal connection to the upcoming release.
Tamang rose to fame after winning Indian Idol’s third season in 2007. Nearly two decades later, the trailer presents another part of an acting career that continued to grow alongside his music.
A performance he left behind
Maatrubhumi features Salman Khan, Chitrangda Singh and Nepali actor Anoop Bikram Shahi. While the trailer centres on military tensions, battlefield confrontations and soldiers’ family lives, it also includes Tamang among its cast.
His appearance offers an early look at work he recorded before his death. The trailer does not reveal the full extent of his character’s story.
Previously titled Battle of Galwan, the film draws inspiration from the 2020 confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley. Khan has described it as an inspired story rather than a biopic, with attention to soldiers and the families affected by conflict.
Produced by Salma Khan under Salman Khan Films, Maatrubhumi is scheduled to open in cinemas on December 4, 2026.
From Indian Idol to Nepali cinema
Born in Darjeeling on January 4, 1983, Tamang worked as a constable with Kolkata Police before his Indian Idol breakthrough. He also sang with the police orchestra, nurturing the voice that would eventually introduce him to a much wider audience.
His 2007 victory sparked celebrations across Darjeeling, Sikkim and parts of Nepal. The Nepali-speaking artist built a following that crossed national borders, with listeners connecting to both his music and his journey.
Tamang later moved into Nepali cinema, making his film acting debut with Gorkha Paltan in 2010. His subsequent films included Angalo Yo Maya Ko, Nishani and Pardesi, establishing him as a familiar face for Nepali audiences.
He reached another audience through his role as an assassin in the second season of the Hindi crime series Paatal Lok.
Tamang died in New Delhi just a week after his 43rd birthday. Maatrubhumi had not yet reached cinemas.
Now, its trailer brings his acting work back into view. Alongside the film’s larger story of conflict and sacrifice, his appearance preserves a glimpse of an artist whose journey extended well beyond the singing stage where many first discovered him.
Watch the official Maatrubhumi trailer.
