AR Murugadoss Blames Himself For Salman Khan's Sikandar Failure: 'Couldn't Pull It Off Like Ghajini'
AR Murugadoss admits Salman Khan's Sikandar failed due to poor execution, reveals why Ghajini worked, and shares insights on the film's emotional story and missed potential.
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's much-hyped comeback film Sikandar hit the screens two years after Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, only to underwhelm at the box office despite its mammoth scale and expectations. Now, director AR Murugadoss has openly taken responsibility for the film's underperformance, admitting in an interview with Valaipechu Voice that he failed to execute the story the way he had envisioned.
'The base story was very emotional," Murugadoss explained. 'It's about a king who doesn't truly understand his wife. Many of us are like that — whether it's with our mother, wife, or friends, we don't value relationships until they're gone. In the film, after the king loses his wife, her organs are donated to three people. He then seeks them out to fulfil what he couldn't do for her. In the process, he befriends an entire village. The story had heart, but I couldn't execute it well."
The director also drew a comparison between Sikandar and his earlier blockbuster Ghajini, confessing why one worked while the other faltered. 'I could pull off Ghajini because it was a remake, something I had already done before. With Sikandar, being an original, I lacked the same command. I'm not saying I won't return to Hindi cinema — I definitely will if I find my comfort zone. But when audiences don't connect with my vision, it affects me deeply."
Murugadoss' Ghajini (2008), starring Aamir Khan, Asin and Jiah Khan, was a historic hit, earning ₹194.10 crore worldwide against a modest budget of ₹52 crore. By contrast, Sikandar — despite Salman Khan in the lead, Rashmika Mandanna as his wife Saishri, and Nagarjuna, Sathyaraj, Kajal Aggarwal, Prateik Babbar, and Sharman Joshi in pivotal roles — fell short. Mounted on a ₹200 crore budget, it managed to collect only ₹184.6 crore worldwide.
The film follows Sanjay Rajkot, aka Sikandar, who embarks on a mission to protect three strangers who receive organ donations from his late wife, all while battling a powerful politician. While the concept was ambitious and layered, critics panned the film for its flat writing and lacklustre execution, calling it an opportunity lost despite a stellar cast and grand production.
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August 17, 2025, 18:31 IST
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