New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- Salman Khan's latest film, Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace, based on the 2020 India-China conflict, was delayed for several months as relations between the two countries improved. An altered version has now been cleared for theatrical release on 4 December.

As earlier successes such as Padmaavat and Udta Punjab show, substantial changes to a film's script or treatment do not necessarily hurt its box-office prospects. But the episode highlights a larger challenge for the film industry: a big-budget production can take two to three years to reach the screen, and the world around it can change completely during that time. A story written for one moment may be released in another.

To manage this uncertainty, studios...