Salman Khan's Sikandar Failed As Tamil Director Didn't Understand Hindi Script: 'Was Not Exactly Sure'

News18

5 days ago

The filmmaker said he wasn't exactly sure what the script said as it was in Hindi.
Salman Khan's Sikandar was a dud at the box office. The film had several strengths: Salman Khan's box office pull, Rashmika Mandanna's fanbase and AR Murugadoss's proven Bollywood track record. Despite this, Sikandar had an underwhelming run at the box office. Now, the filmmaker has blamed it on his inability to understand Hindi, and thus, not fully knowing 'what is happening' in the film.
AR Murugadoss recently said, 'When we make films in our mother tongue, it gives us strength. We know what is happening here. Today, there's a trend going and suddenly the audience gets connected with that trend. When we shift language, we don't know what the youngsters are enjoying in that language. All we need is a script to believe it."
He further explained, 'For once, I can take up Telugu films, but Hindi may not work for us because after we write the script, they translate it into English. Then it is again translated into Hindi."
He added, 'We can only guess what they are saying, but we are not exactly sure about what is happening. When you make a film in an unknown language and place, it feels like you are handicapped. It is like you don't have hands. I strongly believe our strength depends on where and which culture we come from."
This has come as a shock to the filmmaker's fans, as his previous Hindi films both had good box office runs. The filmmaker is behind Akshay Kumar's Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty and Aamir Khan's Ghajini. Both films opened to largely positive reviews, with Ghajini even becoming a blockbuster hit.
As for Sikandar, critics responded harshly—common criticisms included weak screenplay, uninspired direction, and flat performances. Despite high anticipation, the film failed to deliver the energy and charisma seen in Salman Khan's earlier hits. In the film, Salman plays Sanjay 'Sikandar" Rajkot, a man driven to protect three organ recipients after the death of his wife (played by Rashmika Mandanna). Rashmika plays Saisri, whose tragic storyline catalyses his transformation into a defender of the oppressed against a corrupt politician.
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