Salman Khan’s Sikandar director says not having 'complete command' led to movie's poor performance

Salman Khan’s Sikandar, released during Eid 2025, was anticipated as a major comeback for the superstar. However, the film failed to resonate with audiences and critics alike, emerging as one of Khan’s lowest-performing projects in recent years. Now, director AR Murugadoss has taken responsibility for the film’s underwhelming performance, pointing to execution issues as the main reason behind the box office disappointment.

In an interview with Velaipechu Voice, Murugadoss explained that the film’s core story was deeply emotional but ultimately fell short in its execution. The narrative revolves around Sanjay Rajkot, also known as Sikandar, a principled king whose wife, Sai Shree (played by Rashmika Mandanna), passes away unexpectedly. Her organs are donated to three individuals, prompting Sikandar to track them down and address the unfinished matters in their lives, while forming connections with an entire village in the process.

Murugadoss said the story sought to explore universal human emotions, particularly the way people often fail to value relationships until it is too late. Despite the compelling premise, he admitted that translating it effectively onto screen proved challenging.

Learning From Ghajini

The director drew a comparison between Sikandar and his earlier Bollywood success, Ghajini (2008), starring Aamir Khan. He noted that Ghajini was a remake of his own Tamil film and that his prior experience gave him complete control over the material. In contrast, Sikandar was an original Hindi project for him, which made the adaptation process more difficult. He said, “I could pull off Ghajini because it was a remake, not an original script. I had already done it before, so I had complete command. With Sikandar, that wasn’t the case."

Murugadoss acknowledged that this gap in familiarity contributed to the film’s lack of impact.

He also referenced language as a barrier that may have influenced the movie’s execution, underscoring the challenges faced when working outside his comfort zone.

Box Office Performance and Future Plans

Made on a reported budget of Rs 200 crore, Sikandar earned approximately Rs 184–185 crore worldwide, falling short of expectations. The film’s ensemble cast included notable actors such as Sathyaraj, Kajal Aggarwal, Prateik Babbar, and Sharman Joshi, yet critics and audiences cited a weak narrative and underdeveloped execution as key reasons for its failure.

Despite the setback, Murugadoss remains open to returning to Hindi cinema. He indicated that he would continue to explore projects in Bollywood, provided he feels confident about connecting with the audience.