Fans count forward each year for a Salman Khan film during Eid. For his audience, his movies have always been regarded as treats.
At the box office, Eid and Salman have evolved over years into a potent mix. But in 2025 this trend was reversed. Expected to be a hit, his most recent release Sikandar proved to be a big letdown.
Audiences and critics both have declared the movie a box office catastrophe. This page investigates what went wrong with Sikandar and how a much awaited film failed.
The Frenzy Before the Publication
The movie had generated a lot of hype before Sikandar came out. Fans of Salman Khan were enthralled, and the posters, teasers, and songs of the movie were unveiled with great fervour.
The production crew pushed the movie on TV shows, social media, and public venues. The public expected a strong blend of action, drama, and passion since the teaser featured Salman in an unseen-before action avatar.
Built on a large budget, the movie had exotic locales, upscale action scenes, and a well-known supporting cast. Everything indicated again another Eid success.
High standards set by Salman Khan
Salman Khan has a devoted following that cheers him through good times and bad. Simply because of his star power, several of his average films have performed rather well at the box office over years.
For this reason, Sikandar was supposed to shatter records. It was supposed to be the next Tiger Zinda Hai or Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Even trade analysts were projecting a huge opening and an extended run of success in theaters.
Shock on Opening Day
Everyone expected houseful shows when Sikandar came out on Eid. The actual situation was different, though. The occupancy of the morning shows was poor. Even evening and night shows, many theatres were half-empty.
The first day collecting fell significantly short of projections. Both traders and supporters of Salman Khan found this surprising. Released on Eid, a Salman Khan movie for the first time in years lacked enchantment on day one.
Negative Reviews and Positive Word-of- Mouth
On social media, the viewers of the movie on the first day expressed their ideas. Sadly, the most of the comments were unfavorable. The terrible narrative, bad direction, and out-of-date action scenes infuriated many people.
Although some applauded Salman’s attempt, most viewers claimed the movie lacked emotional connection and novelty. Critics dubbed the movie a lost chance and offered poor marks as well. Bad word of mouth hurt the performance of the movie even more.
Fragmented Plot and Bad Direction
Sikandar’s poor writing was one of the key causes of its demise. There nothing fresh in the narrative to appeal to you.
It lacked originality and seemed to be a combination of various classic movies. The audience did not relate to the emotional events, hence the dialogues had little effect. Furthermore below average was the direction. There were hasty scenes and stretched-out ones.
Not even the action scenes, meant to be the centerpiece of the movie, lived up. The movie lost focus in the course of trying too much at once.
Older Style and Lack of Originality
The audience of today craves something novel and relevant. But Sikandar adopted the same tried-and-true technique used in numerous Bollywood films over years. The movie instead of providing a compelling narrative relied too much on Salman’s star power.
The movie seemed old to younger audiences. Sikandar felt caught in the past in a time when movies like Pathaan and Jawan mix modern style with action and emotion. Nothing fresh drew in the younger generation.
Great rivalry and evolving audience taste
The fierce box office competition was another factor causing Sikandar’s demise. A couple Hollywood productions and regional films were already doing really well. People are eager to see movies from all languages and nations nowadays if the subject is decent. Globally cinema is now accessible to the viewers thanks to websites like Netflix and Amazon Prime. They hope for engaging performances and quality narrative. Under such circumstances, a weak picture with a great star cannot last very long.
Promotions and Music failed to wow
Popular songs in Salman Khan films often contribute to create suspense. But Sikandar’s album of songs generated nothing of buzz. Not one of the songs became a chartbusters. Furthermore lacking originality was the promotional plan.
The crew tried to generate buzz, but it was insufficient to get the audience into movie theaters. Some supporters actually felt the promotions had too high expectations, which finally caused disappointment.
Loss in Finance and Box Office Count
Made on a large budget, Sikandar heavily spent on action, visual effects, and advertisements.
Nevertheless, in the first week the movie failed even half of its initial production budget. Low attendance caused many theater managers to pull the movie off peak time slots. Zero bookings caused several shows to be canceled at specific locations.
Sikandar has now been officially declared a confirmed box office flop by trade analysts. In Salman Khan’s career, it ranks among the most catastrophic events.
Fan Response and Social Media Effect
Seeing Sikandar shattered Salman Khan’s fan following. Many of the disappointed supporters turned to social media.
While some supporters pointed the director, others faulted the poor writing. Also discussed were Salman’s need of choosing scripts today with greater caution.
Memes and jokes about the movie started to get popular, which degraded its reputation. Negative reviews were disseminated mostly through social media.
What direction is Salman Khan headed?
This let-down begs major concerns regarding Salman Khan’s next projects. Though the business is changing quickly, at 59 he is still among the most famous names in the nation.
Younger performers are choosing original material and acting boldly.
Salman has to rethink himself right now. He must collaborate with young filmmakers, venture creatively, and push himself beyond comfort. Though they expect greater material, fans are nonetheless eager to support him.
Finally
From a major celebrity to a festival release to a massive budget and enormous expectations, Sikandar had everything required for a blockbuster. Ultimately, though, it fell short in content and narrative, where it most counts.
The failure of the movie reminds us that success cannot be assured just by star power anymore.
Audiences of today are more discriminating and sharper. Salman Khan must grasp this change and pick his movies carefully if he is to recover.
Sikandar will be remembered as a lesson on the evolving guidelines of modern cinema rather than as a huge Eid release.
