The numbers paint a clear picture of disappointment. The movie earned ₹174 crore worldwide at the box office. Salman’s seventh-highest opener brought in ₹30.06 crore on day one, but the collections dropped rapidly afterward. Critics panned the film too, giving it just 7% on Rotten Tomatoes.
This piece takes a closer look at Sikandar’s story – from its ambitious production to its box office performance. We’ll examine the action sequences and their effect on Salman Khan’s box office legacy to understand what caused this unexpected setback.
Sikandar Box Office Journey: Opening Weekend to Final Figures
Salman Khan’s action drama Sikandar reached theaters on Sunday, March 30, 2025—just before Eid. The movie’s box office numbers took an unexpected turn even with its festive release timing.
Day 1 collection: The ₹30.06 crore start
The movie kicked off with mixed numbers on day one. The makers reported ₹30.06 crore collections in India, while trade tracking site Sacnilk showed ₹26 crore net. Worldwide collections reached ₹54 crore, nowhere near the predicted opening of ₹40-45 crore.
These numbers fell by a lot compared to Salman’s earlier releases. Tiger 3 had pulled in ₹44.5 crore on its first day, and Sultan opened with ₹36.54 crore. Sikandar’s first-day numbers couldn’t match Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava’s ₹31 crore debut. The collections also stayed way behind Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, which grabbed an impressive ₹109 crore on opening day.
The steep second-week decline
The movie collected around ₹90.25 crore in week one, but then saw a sharp downward trend. Collections dropped to just ₹3.5 crore by second Friday, showing a massive 80% fall from the first week.
Numbers kept falling as the movie entered week three. Day 13 brought in only ₹0.3 crore, with day 14 adding ₹0.4 crore. Week two ended with ₹17.55 crore—an 80.55% drop from the first week.
Sunny Deol’s Jaat release made things tougher by creating competition for theater screens. Sikandar’s daily numbers dropped under ₹1 crore as the movie struggled to keep its momentum.
Comparing domestic vs. international performance
Sikandar’s net domestic collections touched ₹108.5 crore by day 14. The movie performed better overseas, earning ₹55.65 crore (USD 6.50 million).
The worldwide gross reached about ₹197.35 crore after two weeks. The makers claimed it joined the ₹200 crore club globally, but independent trackers showed slightly lower numbers.
These figures might look good for regular Bollywood releases, all the same they missed expectations for a Salman Khan movie. Recent hits like Stree 2 (₹388 crore in 7 days) and Animal (₹563 crore in first week) clearly outperformed Sikandar at the box office.
The ₹200 Crore Gamble: Breaking Down Sikandar’s Budget
Sikandar’s box office performance fell short of expectations, and its massive production budget of ₹200 crore made this failure even more substantial. This budget ranks it among India’s most expensive films and stands as Sajid Nadiadwala’s costliest production.
Salman Khan’s reported ₹100 crore paycheck
Salman Khan’s salary took up much of the film’s budget. Sources confirm he earned about ₹100 crore for his role, though some reports push this figure up to ₹120 crore. His paycheck alone accounts for over half the total production cost. The star’s earnings were tied to the film’s digital revenue, which has become standard practice for Bollywood’s top actors.
Expensive action sequences and set designs
The movie’s ambitious production featured several costly action sequences that drove up expenses. The team shot an expensive aerial stunt sequence at 33,000 feet. Action directors from the Mission Impossible series designed these complex scenes.
Set design required heavy investment too. The team spent about ₹15 crore to build detailed replicas of Mumbai’s Dharavi and Matunga neighborhoods. These sets helped create authentic urban storytelling elements in the film.
Marketing expenditure and promotional events
Beyond the ₹180 crore production cost, the team allocated ₹20 crore for prints, advertising, and promotions. This budget covered nationwide distribution and marketing campaigns.
Critics pointed out that the marketing strategy seemed uncoordinated despite its substantial budget. The team rushed to shoot a promotional song at the last minute, featuring Salman Khan and Rashmika dancing to a Lata Mangeshkar classic. This suggested some problems with the marketing plan.
The film secured around ₹165 crore before release through various deals. Netflix paid ₹85 crore for streaming rights, Zee contributed ₹50 crore for satellite rights, and music rights brought in ₹30 crore. These deals helped recover about 80% of the production costs before the movie hit theaters.
Competing at the Box Office: How Other Films Affected Sikandar
A movie’s success at the box office depends on its quality and the competition it faces in theaters. Sikandar faced two major competitors that substantially affected its commercial success.
The L2: Empuraan factor
Mohanlal’s much-awaited sequel went head-to-head with Sikandar, setting up what industry experts called “the year’s biggest movie battle”. L2: Empuraan quickly showed its strength with a 66.83% occupancy rate while Sikandar managed only 24.60% on March 31.
L2: Empuraan gained momentum as Sikandar struggled. The movie collected ₹118 crore worldwide in just five days. The Malayalam blockbuster’s success grew even bigger with ₹103.71 crore net in India and ₹263.21 crore globally by day 17. This remarkable performance overshadowed Sikandar’s theatrical run completely.
Sunny Deol’s Jaat stealing the spotlight
Sikandar barely found its footing when Sunny Deol’s Jaat hit theaters on April 10. The new release delivered everything Sikandar couldn’t – an action film that struck a chord with audiences. Critics noted that Jaat was “everything Salman Khan’s Sikandar would maybe even aspire to be”.
Jaat’s nationwide release on 3,500 screens brought in ₹26.50 crore during its opening weekend. This strong performance sped up Sikandar’s decline. Salman’s film barely earned ₹1 crore daily after Jaat’s arrival.
Theater allocation battles and show cancelations
The theater reshuffling painted a clear picture. Many cinemas canceled Sikandar’s shows because nobody showed up. The Friday Cinema multiplex owner in Surat, Kiritbhai T Vaghasia, said it best: “Not a single ticket was sold for the 9:00 am and 10:00 am shows”.
Theaters replaced Sikandar with regional hits like Gujarati films All The Best Pandya and Umbarro. Mumbai’s theaters chose L2: Empuraan’s Hindi version over Sikandar.
This trend continued in Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Indore, particularly where Eid celebrations had little influence.
Sikandar’s Impact on Salman Khan’s Box Office Legacy
Salman Khan’s films and Eid releases have gone hand in hand with blockbuster success for decades. Sikandar writes a different story that could reshape the superstar’s box office legacy.
A match for previous Eid releases
Sikandar pulled in ₹26 crore on day one, ranking seventh among Salman’s Eid openers. These numbers stand nowhere near his biggest Eid opener, Bharat (2019), which raked in ₹42.30 crore. Sultan (2016) follows with ₹36.54 crore. Race 3, which critics called a commercial letdown, opened stronger with ₹29.17 crore.
The lifetime collections tell a similar story. Sikandar doesn’t match blockbuster Eid releases like Bajrangi Bhaijaan (₹320.34 crore domestic, ₹922.17 crore worldwide) and Sultan (₹300.45 crore domestic, ₹607.84 crore worldwide).
Breaking Salman’s streak of ₹100 crore hits
Salman’s movies used to breeze into the ₹100 crore club, making him a box office powerhouse. Sikandar took a different path and crossed this milestone on its eighth day – quite unlike his previous hits.
These numbers point to a larger post-pandemic challenge. Salman’s recent releases haven’t matched his earlier box office magic. Sikandar looks set to finish around ₹175 crore worldwide, making it one of his lowest-earning Eid releases recently.
Fan loyalty despite negative reviews
Salman’s dedicated fans stood by him despite harsh reviews and disappointing numbers. Many defended the film on social media, saying theater audiences gave it “4/5 ratings”. Their support shows the superstar’s strong connection with viewers despite critics’ disapproval.
Salman recognized these challenges and hosted a special meeting with fans at his home on April 5. He admitted he saw problems with Sikandar early during filming and promised better creative choices ahead – evidence of his understanding of audience expectations.
This honest approach might end up protecting his box office legacy better than the film itself.
Conclusion
Sikandar marks one of the most important milestones in Salman Khan’s stellar career. The movie had a massive ₹200 crore budget and the proven Murugadoss-Nadiadwala team behind it. However, it managed to earn only ₹174 crore worldwide. These numbers look modest compared to recent hits like Stree 2 and Animal that crossed similar figures in their opening week.
Competition from movies like L2: Empuraan and Jaat definitely impacted the box office numbers. The unprecedented cancelation of shows due to low attendance made things worse. Such cancelations rarely happen with Salman Khan’s releases.
His loyal fanbase stuck with him through the movie’s run. Salman openly admitted the movie’s weaknesses and promised better creative decisions in the future. This shows his development as a filmmaker. The movie might have ended his consistent box office success streak, but it could signal the start of a fresh chapter rather than the end of his box office dominance.
FAQs
Q1. What was Salman Khan’s fee for starring in Sikandar? Salman Khan reportedly received a substantial paycheck of approximately ₹100 crore for his role in Sikandar, which accounted for a significant portion of the film’s overall budget.
Q2. What is the plot of Sikandar? Sikandar follows the story of Sanjay Rajkot, a character played by Salman Khan, who embarks on a mission to combat corruption. The film was directed by A.R. Murugadoss and aimed to blend action with a socially relevant storyline.
Q3. How did Sikandar perform at the box office? Sikandar opened with ₹30.06 crore on its first day but experienced a steep decline in subsequent weeks. The film’s total worldwide collection reached approximately ₹174 crore, falling short of expectations for a Salman Khan starrer.
Q4. What was the budget for Sikandar? The production budget for Sikandar was officially set at ₹200 crore, making it one of the most expensive Indian films ever made. This included elaborate action sequences, detailed set designs, and extensive marketing efforts.
Q5. How did Sikandar compare to Salman Khan’s previous Eid releases? Sikandar underperformed compared to Salman’s previous Eid blockbusters. It struggled to reach the ₹100 crore mark domestically, crossing it only on its eighth day, unlike his earlier hits which achieved this milestone much faster.
