Salman Khan Taking a Brave Leap or Calculated Comeback? As He Confirms Apoorva Lakhia's Next

Over the last few months, Salman Khan’s artistic court at Galaxy Apartments and his countryside durbar at the Panvel farmhouse have seen a quiet flurry of activity. Directors have dropped by with scripts and hope, each trying to earn a nod from the man whose aura still draws the masses. Among them were trusted collaborators like Ali Abbas Zafar and Kabir Khan, as well as newer faces like Apoorva Lakhia. Of all the ideas pitched, it appears that Lakhia’s military action drama, inspired by the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict, is the one that has struck a chord with Khan.

Based on the novel India’s Most Fearless 3, the project will mark the first time Salman Khan appears as a full-fledged Indian army officer. For a performer synonymous with swagger and shirt-ripping machismo, it is surprising that the olive green uniform has taken so long to arrive. But perhaps the timing is right. The film is scheduled to go on floors in July 2025, with locations including the rugged terrains of Ladakh and the controlled precision of Mumbai studios. The shoot will unfold over seventy days and will include three younger actors, likely to create a dynamic interplay between generations.

Apoorva Lakhia is already preparing for the Ladakh recce. The process of locking heads of departments is underway, indicating that this is not a vanity project but a production of scale and seriousness. The film is set across two nights, suggesting an intense, pressure-cooker narrative that may lean more on emotional grit than on traditional bombast. Some scenes will be filmed in real locations, while others will be recreated in elaborate detail in Mumbai. The goal appears to be a balance between realism and spectacle, which is a difficult needle to thread but an exciting one if done well.

While this project inches forward, Kabir Khan waits with a fresh narrative. Despite rumors of a Bajrangi Bhaijaan sequel, Kabir Khan has no desire to revisit what many consider a classic. Although he entertained the concept developed by Vijayendra Prasad, he has politely chosen to decline. Instead, he has proposed a new story, an original and emotionally large-scale drama, which may follow the Galwan film in Khan’s line-up. The working plan is to finish shooting Lakhia’s film by October and potentially begin Kabir Khan’s in November.

Salman Khan’s Next Move Matters Most

Still, in the universe of Salman Khan, nothing is truly final until the camera rolls. His instincts have always been his guide, sometimes to glorious heights and sometimes to baffling lows. If another script captures his interest in the coming weeks, the current schedule could shift. And that is part of the legend. With Salman, the unpredictability is not a bug but a feature.

Underneath this ever-fluid calendar, however, lies a quieter concern. There is an assumption that Salman Khan’s stardom has dulled due to recent underwhelming films, with Sikandar being the most recent letdown. The notion that a few commercial misfires can shrink the aura of a megastar is a misreading of what superstardom truly is. The crowds do not merely come for a film. They come for the emotion, the familiarity, the promise of a larger-than-life presence. And that promise still holds value.

The bigger question, then, is about creative recalibration. How does a performer like Khan choose his next move when the metrics seem misaligned with the myth? Is an army-based action drama the antidote or a mere diversion? The truth might not reside in clarity but in risk. Perhaps the right choice is not the safest one, but the boldest one. And if this film demands from Khan more than just charisma, if it asks him for sweat, silence, vulnerability, and fire, then it could become something far more than another addition to his filmography.

Patriotism, Pressure, and Possibility

The possibility lies in the effort. Remember Sultan. It was not only the body transformation that stunned but the emotional journey that surprised. Salman Khan went the extra mile, shedding ego along with weight, and that commitment resonated deeply. Bajrangi Bhaijaan is often remembered for its heart, but Sultan deserves equal credit for its honesty and the rare glimpse of fragility it allowed.

If the Galwan film asks that level of intensity again, it could serve as a mirror, reflecting not just the soldier on screen but the actor’s fight to stay relevant and compelling. It may not be a guaranteed hit. It may not please everyone. But it could be the kind of role that pushes Khan to places he has not visited in a while. And that, in itself, would be a victory.

This is no ordinary next move. This is a gamble dressed as a patriotic epic. If Khan rises to the occasion with grit and grace, this might be remembered as the film that turned a page when many thought the book was closing. Because with Khan, as with cinema, the impossible often just means the not yet attempted.

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