Months after Sikandar became one of last year’s most discussed box-office disappointments, Rashmika Mandanna has finally opened up about what she believes went wrong. Instead of blaming release timing, marketing, or audience taste, the actress pointed to a more fundamental issue — the story of the film changed drastically during its making.
Rashmika played the wife of Salman Khan’s character in Sikandar. However, her role ended early in the narrative, after which the film shifted into a full-fledged revenge drama, with Salman’s character targeting the antagonist played by Sathyaraj. This abrupt tonal shift drew mixed reactions from viewers, many of whom felt the film lost emotional depth midway.
In a recent conversation with Telugu journalist Premaa, Rashmika revealed that the script she agreed to was significantly different from what audiences ultimately saw in theatres. “When I heard the script, it was quite a different story,” she said. “But that generally happens with films. When you listen to something, it’s one story. But over the making of the film, things change according to performances, edits, and even release timing. That’s very common. And that’s what happened with Sikandar.”
Despite a prime Eid release and backing from Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Sikandar struggled to perform at the domestic box office. The film reportedly earned around ₹110 crore in India against an estimated budget of ₹200 crore, placing it among the year’s biggest underperformers.
Earlier, director A.R. Murugadoss had addressed the setback by blaming systemic challenges in Hindi filmmaking. He suggested that directing in a language different from his own weakened creative control, claiming that scripts often change during translation. He also spoke about difficulties in working with major stars, stating that shoots frequently got delayed because of late arrivals on set.
However, Salman Khan later refuted Murugadoss’ claims. During an appearance on Bigg Boss 18, Salman clarified that his delayed shoot timings were due to a broken rib sustained during action sequences. He further pointed out that Murugadoss’ Telugu film Madhraasi also performed poorly at the box office, despite smooth production schedules. Salman added that Sikandar was primarily a Murugadoss and Sajid Nadiadwala project, subtly indicating that both the director and producer distanced themselves after the film failed.
With Rashmika now confirming that the script underwent major changes, the picture behind Sikandar’s downfall seems clearer — a film that started as one story but ended up as something entirely different.