His roster is full, but that won’t deter Salman Khan from picking up interesting projects, especially ones that talk of National history. The actor, who kicked off his new film with A R Murugadoss this summer, has his calendar booked till early next year. Ideally, his next film was supposed to be the Vishnuvardhan-directed venture, The Bull. Rumours suggest that certain portions of the film have to be rewritten because of the current political strain and conflict between India and Maldives.

Produced by Karan Johar, The Bull revolves around the events of Operation Cactus, which occurred on November 3, 1988. “During this operation, the Indian Armed forces aided the Maldives government in regaining control after a coup attempt, orchestrated by businessman Abdullah Luthufi and the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). The forces swiftly incapacitated the mercenaries, ensuring the restoration of authority to President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s government within a matter of hours,” shares a source.

The makers are now trying to fictionalize a few parts of the story. The source adds, “It’s still a heroic tale, but instead of keeping the references direct, it is safer at this point to make changes to the geographical specifications of the story. The director wants to stick to the real story [and will use] the details of the operation. The rework is expected to be completed by the end of the year. In all likelihood, Salman will start the film in 2025.”