Just one day before Eid 2025, Salman Khan’s eagerly awaited movie Sikandar released in theaters on Sunday.
Salman’s comeback to the big screen after a two-year hiatus was made possible by the film’s ability to attract sizable audiences to theaters. According to preliminary estimates from industry tracker Sacnilk, the movie made Rs 21.96 crore in India on its first day of release in all languages, including advance reservations made until 9 p.m.
Overall, the movie’s occupancy rate was 20.95 percent; evening showings had a higher attendance rate of 25 percent. With more than 8,000 Hindi events across the country, Sikandar’s ticket sales are predicted to increase throughout the day.
Though Tiger 3’s overall performance fell short with a worldwide total of Rs 464 crore against its Rs 300 crore budget, the picture is still under pressure to surpass the first-day earnings of Salman’s previous blockbuster, which grossed Rs 44.5 crore.
Sikandar faces piracy setbacks
Nadiadwala and Salman Khan co-produced Sikandar, a film that chronicles a young man’s struggle against an unjust system. With more than a million views in less than a day, the movie’s trailer generated a lot of buzz.
Notwithstanding the excitement, Sikandar hasn’t quite lived up to the Rs 22 crore opening of L2: Empuraan, a Malayalam movie that broke records by being the fastest Malayalam film to reach Rs 100 crore worldwide.
Salman Khan’s fans are becoming concerned about the low theater occupancy rates, despite the fact that the film’s advance bookings exceeded Rs 9 crore. On its debut Sunday, Sikandar only made Rs 7.36 crore, despite the Eid 2025 weekend boost.
The movie has regrettably succumbed to online piracy, with a high-definition version already released, even though the numbers may increase throughout the day.
Komal Nahta strongly condemned the online piracy issue, writing on X, “It’s the worst nightmare for any producer. A film is being leaked before its theatrical release. Unfortunately, that’s what happened last evening to Sajid Nadiadwala’s ‘Sikandar,’ slated to release today in cinemas. The producer had the authorities pull the film down from 600 sites last night, but the harm had been done.” Despite this setback, the production team remains hopeful that the film’s numbers will improve as the day progresses.
People’s reaction
Sikandar has elicited a range of responses from the audience, including both excitement and disappointment. Fans enthusiastically welcomed Salman Khan’s comeback in theaters; footage captures crowds cheering, dancing, and whistling during his entrance sequences. Nonetheless, a few spectators voiced their displeasure with the movie’s content.
One Reddit member said that it was difficult to relate to the characters because of the haphazard editing. These opinions were supported by critics, who pointed out poor writing and unimpressive direction.
While NDTV India pointed out that the movie depends on unrealistic plot elements, the Times of India said that the story and narrative were major disappointments. Despite the criticisms, several fans hailed Salman Khan’s performance as his best since Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
The movie also faced issues with internet piracy, as HD versions were leaked before its official release. Overall, Sikandar attracted interest and excitement but received criticism for its execution and narrative.
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