Salman Khan's 'Bharat' trailer is here: These are our main takeaways

The trailer got a thumbs-up from Shah Rukh Khan and features Abu Dhabi scenes

Atul Agnihotri (producer), Salman Khan and director Ali Abbas Zafar on the set of 'Bharat' in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Twofour54 
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It comes as no real surprise, but Salman Khan will play the titular role in his upcoming film, Bharat, a newly released trailer confirms.

The clip landed on Monday, giving fans a first glimpse at scenes shot in Abu Dhabi and Malta – the film's two international locations – among others.

Judging by the reactions to the trailer, Bharat looks set to be a hit, after a previous string of  disappointments from Khan.

Among those expressing their appreciation was actor Shah Rukh Khan, who tweeted:

Rukh's tweet is Mumbai slang, which translates to, "What the heck, nice one". Khan responded with, "Thank you. Wait for the film to unfold ..."Interestingly, the second half of Khan's tweet quoted a line from Shah Rukh's film Om Shanti Om.

The film's tagline is "A journey of a man and nation together". It seems Khan's character will pass through various life stages, with, the trailer suggests, at least three leading ladies in Katrina Kaif, Disha Patni and Sonali Kulkarni. Despite being confirmed as playing a vital role in the film, a fourth actress, Tabu, is missing from the first look.

The trailer was expected to be released on Wednesday, April 24, but caught fans by surprise by dropping two days earlier.

The three-minute-long preview goes from 1947 to 2010, and tells fans to expect to "witness a journey of fear, belief, hope ... love, family [and] sacrifice". Khan's character is seen at various ages throughout, as he does everything from performing spectacular circus stunts to working in overalls on site.

It is those on-site scenes, with Bharat working as an oil mine worker, that were shot in the Abu Dhabi desert. He is also seen marrying Kaif's character in a Christian-style wedding in scenes shot in Malta.

Impressed by the trailer, film critic Sumit Kadel has predicted that Bharat will be a hit, like past Khan's hits Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) and Sultan (2016). Kadel added: "[The] trailer has lots of substance and content. I assume it's a well made film."

For the movie, Khan has teamed up with director Ali Abbas Zafar for the third time; they also worked together on Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai. The Eid movie is set for release on June 5, 2019. 
Watch the full trailer here: