Superstar Salman Khan from Bollywood is soon to don the mantle of a national hero in his latest venture, acting out Colonel Bikumalla Santosh Babu—the dashing officer who laid down his life during the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict between Indian and Chinese troops.
The film will be directed by Apoorva Lakhia, who directed blockbusters such as Shootout at Lokhandwala and Mission Istaanbul, with shooting to commence in July 2025.
The book takes inspiration from the actual courage of Colonel Bikumalla Santosh Babu MVC, who led the 16 Bihar Regiment. He was the initial Indian Army officer to get martyred in action against the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) since 1967 in the heated exchanges in Galwan Valley. His sheer courage against all odds is chronicled in India's Most Fearless 3, a highly acclaimed book by Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh.
The source told Mid-Day, "Colonel Babu's character was heroic. He had shown great expertise in several counter-insurgency and infiltration operations.". The director acquired rights to the opening chapter entitled I Had Never Seen Such Fierce Fighting — The Galwan Clash of June 2020, in which the author recounts in his own words the fight in a firsthand account. Suresh Nair has adapted the screen play, along with Chintan Gandhi and Chintan Shah, who have also written the dialogues. "Salman is quite emotional about the film and will start preparing from the last week of May.". He has already begun intense physical training at his Panvel farmhouse, the source further informed.
This is Salman Khan's first project with director Apoorva Lakhia. Another insider affirmed, "Salman Khan has officially signed on Apoorva Lakhia for his next film, with shooting set to begin in July 2025."
Salman will shoot a high-altitude schedule in Ladakh, directed by Lakhia, as per Bollywood Hungama. He has started working out in order to gain a leaner look for the character. The plan is to shoot 20 days in Ladakh and then 50 days in Mumbai, with the aim to complete it within 70 days. The movie will be released during the first half of 2026.
With its mix of harsh Ladakh landscapes and city scapes of Mumbai, the film will be a mighty, dignified tribute to valour, sacrifice, and patriotism.
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