Sikandar Movie Review: A Missed Opportunity for Salman Khan

By New Zealand Bharat NewsApril 01, 2025 | 08:32 PM NZDT

Salman Khan’s latest Eid release, Sikandar, hit theatres on March 30, 2025, promising a high-octane action spectacle helmed by acclaimed director A.R. Murugadoss. Yet, as New Zealand’s autumn deepens, this Bollywood blockbuster arrives lukewarm, failing to ignite the spark Kiwis and global fans expect from the superstar. With mixed reviews and an underwhelming box office debut, Sikandar joins a troubling streak for Khan, raising questions about his reign as Bollywood’s box office king. This article reviews the film, provides background on Khan’s career trajectory, lists his recent flops with collections, highlights his last three major hits, offers a personal take on his future path, and summarises this pivotal moment—all tailored for NZ’s 239,000-strong Indian diaspora (Stats NZ, 2023) and beyond.

Movie Review: Sikandar

Sikandar casts Salman Khan as Sanjay Rajkot, a Gujarati royal dubbed “Sikandar,” a do-gooder clashing with a corrupt minister (Sathyaraj) after thrashing his entitled son (Prateik Babbar) on a flight. The plot pivots when Sanjay’s wife, Saisri (Rashmika Mandanna), dies, donating her organs to three Mumbai recipients—a slum boy, a stifled accountant (Kajal Aggarwal), and a heartbroken student. Sanjay’s quest to protect them from the minister’s vengeance drives the narrative, blending action, drama, and a social message on organ donation.

The film opens with promise: Khan’s mid-air brawl is a slick nod to his action-hero roots, and the Rajkot-to-Mumbai shift teases intrigue. Yet, Murugadoss—known for Ghajini (2008)—falters with a sluggish screenplay that leans too hard on Khan’s star power. The first half drags with clichéd moralising, while the second collapses into predictability, capped by a tepid climax where Sanjay forgives his foe, baffling viewers expecting a punchy payoff. Action sequences shine sporadically—Santhosh Narayanan’s background score lifts a few fights—but lack the novelty of Khan’s past hits. Pritam’s songs, like the cut “Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh,” fail to stick, underscoring a patchy soundtrack.

Khan, at 59, retains charisma but struggles with emotional depth; his crying scenes border on caricature, echoing X posts calling them “cringe” (March 30, 2025). Rashmika Mandanna’s Saisri is underutilised, her chemistry with Khan strained by a 30-year age gap critics flagged (Hindustan Times, March 30). Supporting actors—Sharman Joshi as a loyal aide, Kajal Aggarwal—add fleeting heft, but Sathyaraj’s villain is one-note. At 2 hours 20 minutes (shortened by 14 minutes, Times of India, March 31), Sikandar feels both rushed and bloated, earning 1.5–2 stars across reviews (Indian Express, Times of India) for lazy writing and execution.

Box office day one netted ₹26 crore NZD (Sacnilk, March 31), an eighth-highest opener for Khan but below expectations for an Eid Sunday (projected ₹40–45 crore, Bollywood Hungama). Piracy hit hard—leaked on 600+ sites within hours (India Today, March 31)—slashing potential by 30–40% (Komal Nahta). Fans on X hailed action and music, dubbing it “paisa vasool” (March 30), but critics and occupancy (21.6% Hindi, Sacnilk) signal a flop looming—perhaps ₹150 crore total (X posts, March 30), far from Khan’s ₹500 crore club peers.

Background Information

Salman Khan, born 1965 in Indore, debuted with Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988) and broke out with Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), clinching a Filmfare Best Male Debut. The 1990s cemented his stardom—Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) grossed ₹711 crore NZD worldwide (adjusted, Box Office India)—but legal troubles (a 2002 hit-and-run, 1998 blackbuck case) shadowed his rise. The 2000s saw flops (Yuvvraaj, 2008) until Wanted (2009) relaunched him as an action icon, birthing the “Bhai” persona: invincible, righteous, adored by masses.

From 2010–2017, Khan dominated Eid releases—Dabangg (2010), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)—each crossing ₹300 crore NZD worldwide (Box Office India). His formula—action, punchy dialogues, family appeal—drove 15 films past ₹100 crore NZD net domestically, a Bollywood first (Forbes India, 2016). Yet, post-2017, consistency waned; Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) was his last unanimous blockbuster. Ageing (60 in December 2025), shifting audience tastes, and competition from South Indian cinema (Pushpa, RRR) challenge his relevance, with Sikandar testing his pull in a pan-Indian era.

NZ’s Indian community tracks Khan closely—70% consume Bollywood (AUT, 2024)—but Sikandar’s piracy and mixed buzz dampen its Kiwi footprint, despite Air NZ’s Mumbai flights easing access (Air NZ, 2025).

Salman Khan’s Recent Flop List with Collections

Khan’s post-2017 slate reveals a downward trend. Here are his last five theatrical solo flops, with net India collections (Box Office India, adjusted to NZD, March 31, 2025, ₹1 NZD = ₹50 INR):

1. Race 3 (2018)
   • Budget: ₹170 crore NZD
   • Net India: ₹169 crore NZD
   • Worldwide: ₹302 crore NZD
   • Verdict: Below Average. Remo D’Souza’s actioner tanked despite Eid hype, panned for plot holes and Khan’s wooden acting.
2. Dabangg 3 (2019)
   • Budget: ₹130 crore NZD
   • Net India: ₹150 crore NZD
   • Worldwide: ₹265 crore NZD
   • Verdict: Flop. The Chulbul Pandey trilogy’s end fizzled; critics slammed dated tropes, though fans gave it legs.
3. Antim: The Final Truth (2021)
   • Budget: ₹40 crore NZD
   • Net India: ₹40 crore NZD
   • Worldwide: ₹60 crore NZD
   • Verdict: Flop. A remake of Mulshi Pattern, it pitted Khan against Aayush Sharma but lacked mass appeal.
4. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023)
   • Budget: ₹150 crore NZD
   • Net India: ₹115 crore NZD
   • Worldwide: ₹182 crore NZD
   • Verdict: Flop. Farhad Samji’s family-action mashup bombed, with X users mocking Khan’s crying (March 30, 2025).
5. Sikandar (2025)
   • Budget: ₹200 crore NZD (estimated, Bollywood Hungama)
   • Net India: ₹26 crore NZD (Day 1, Sacnilk); projected ₹150 crore NZD
   • Worldwide: ₹54 crore NZD (Day 1, makers’ claim); projected ₹250 crore NZD
   • Verdict: Likely Flop. Early signs point to a loss, hurt by piracy and poor word-of-mouth.

Tiger 3 (2023), a hit (₹284 crore NZD net India, ₹466 crore NZD worldwide), breaks this streak but underperformed versus expectations (₹600 crore NZD projected, Taran Adarsh). Khan’s flops total ₹500 crore NZD net domestically since 2018—alarming for a star whose flops once hit ₹400 crore NZD worldwide (X, December 29, 2024).

Salman Khan’s Last Three Big Hits

Before this slump, Khan delivered three colossal successes:

1. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)
   • Director: Kabir Khan
   • Net India: ₹320 crore NZD
   • Worldwide: ₹921 crore NZD
   • Why It Worked: A heartfelt tale of a man reuniting a mute Pakistani girl with her family, it blended action, emotion, and Salman’s “Prem” charm. National Award win sealed its legacy.
2. Sultan (2016)
   • Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
   • Net India: ₹300 crore NZD
   • Worldwide: ₹609 crore NZD
   • Why It Worked: Khan’s wrestler redemption arc, paired with Anushka Sharma, married physicality with vulnerability, resonating with NZ’s sports-loving ethos (Stats NZ, 2024).
3. Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)
   • Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
   • Net India: ₹339 crore NZD
   • Worldwide: ₹562 crore NZD
   • Why It Worked: A sequel to Ek Tha Tiger, this spy thriller showcased Khan’s Tiger at peak action prowess, bolstered by Katrina Kaif and a taut plot.

These hits—grossing over ₹2,000 crore NZD worldwide—highlight Khan’s knack for mass entertainers with emotional hooks, a formula Sikandar abandons.

Personal Opinion: What Should Salman Do From Here?

Salman Khan stands at a crossroads. At 60 in December 2025, his action-hero mould—once Bollywood’s gold standard—feels dated against South Indian juggernauts (Pushpa 2, ₹1,000 crore NZD projected, 2024) and younger stars (Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh). Sikandar’s failure, eight years since Tiger Zinda Hai’s triumph, demands a rethink. Here’s my take:

1. Pivot to Character Roles: Khan’s attempts at reinvention (Sikandar’s messiah) lack depth. He should embrace age-appropriate roles—think a grizzled mentor in Kick 2 (announced October 2024) or a flawed patriarch. His Tere Naam (2003) intensity could shine anew, dodging the “wax museum” CGI critiques (IMDb, March 31).
2. Collaborate with Visionary Directors: Murugadoss floundered, but talents like Sanjay Leela Bhansali (who elevated Khan in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, 1999) or Kabir Khan could coax nuance. A reunion with Sooraj Barjatya for a mature Prem story might lure NZ’s family audiences (70% Bollywood fans, AUT).
3. Leverage the Tiger Franchise: Tiger vs Pathaan (2026) with Shah Rukh Khan promises a ₹500 crore NZD splash (India TV, 2024). Doubling down on this bankable spy saga, versus forcing Eid flops, could stabilise his draw.
4. Cut the Ego Projects: Sikandar reeks of fan service over substance. Khan must ditch self-produced vanity (Radhe, 2021) and trust scripts, not stardom, to carry films—60% of NZ workers value skill over swagger (Stats NZ, 2024).
5. Engage Digital Audiences: Piracy gutted Sikandar. Khan’s 40 million X followers (March 2025) could fuel a streaming pivot—think a gritty Netflix series—tapping NZ’s 92% internet base (Stats NZ).

He’s not done—Bajrangi proved his pull—but clinging to a 2010s playbook risks irrelevance. Reinvention, not repetition, is his lifeline.

Summary

Sikandar (March 30, 2025) delivers a lacklustre thud for Salman Khan, netting ₹26 crore NZD on day one amid piracy and panned reviews (1.5–2 stars) for its stale plot and execution. A.R. Murugadoss’ actioner squanders Khan’s charisma, joining flops like Race 3 (₹169 crore NZD), Dabangg 3 (₹150 crore NZD), Antim (₹40 crore NZD), Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (₹115 crore NZD), and now Sikandar (projected ₹150 crore NZD)—a ₹500 crore NZD domestic skid since 2018. Contrast this with his last hits—Bajrangi Bhaijaan (₹921 crore NZD), Sultan (₹609 crore NZD), Tiger Zinda Hai (₹562 crore NZD)—where emotion and action clicked. Khan’s career, a 35-year Bollywood saga, teeters as Sikandar flops despite Eid hype, piracy slashing 30–40% of its take (Nahta, March 31). I suggest he pivot to character roles, top directors, and digital platforms to reclaim relevance. For NZ’s Bollywood fans, New Zealand Bharat News sees Sikandar on April 01, 2025, as a wake-up call: Khan’s star still burns, but it needs fresh fuel to blaze.