Latest news with #Ghajini
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Salman Khan's Sikandar director says he ‘felt handicapped' while shooting the movie
When Sikandar was first announced, it felt like a surefire blockbuster in the making. Directed by AR Murugadoss, the man behind Aamir Khan's Ghajini, and starring Salman Khan, the film promised a high-octane return to massy action drama. It also marked Khan's reunion with producer Sajid Nadiadwala after over a decade since their 2014 hit Kick. With a reported budget of Rs 200 crore and a cast that included Rashmika Mandanna, Kajal Aggarwal, Sathyaraj, Sharman Joshi, and others, Sikandar hit theatres on March 30, 2025, during Eid, banking on the festive weekend to fuel its box office instead of becoming the year's big festival hit, Sikandar turned into one of the biggest disappointments. Despite releasing in IMAX and standard formats across India, the film failed to connect with audiences and critics alike. It was panned for its writing, execution, and direction—ultimately becoming a box office four months after the release, AR Murugadoss has broken his silence on the film's failure. While promoting his upcoming project Madharaasi, the filmmaker offered a brutally honest explanation: his struggle with the Hindi language. 'When we make films in our mother tongue, it gives us strength. We know what is happening here,' Murugadoss said. '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 went on to say that while he's more comfortable working in Tamil or even Telugu cinema, Hindi presents a unique set of challenges. 'After we write the script, it's translated into English. Then it is again translated into Hindi. We can only guess what they are saying, but we are not exactly sure about what is happening,' he explained. '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.'Murugadoss believes that a filmmaker's creative strength comes from being grounded in their own language and culture. And while he has delivered successful Hindi films in the past—like Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty with Akshay Kumar, which earned Rs 180 crore on a Rs 50 crore budget—Sikandar seems to have been a misstep rooted in disconnection from the language and its evolving audience.
News18
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Salman Khan's Sikandar Failed As Tamil Director Didn't Understand Hindi Script: 'Was Not Exactly Sure'
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. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Ghajini To Raja Hindustani: 4 Aamir Khan's Classics To Stream Before His Pay-Per-View Launch
If you're a fan of Aamir Khan or just love good cinema, here is your last chance to watch these gems on a friendly budget. Aamir Khan has always been a trendsetter, whether it's his roles, his storytelling or even his opinion on OTT. It has not been long since the actor announced that he is against the traditional OTT subscription model. The solution? He has launched a pay-per-view model for films produced by him, starting with the release of Sitaare Zameen Par on August 1. The idea behind launching the new format is to have a platform where all Aamir Khan Productions films, most of which feature the actor himself, are available without the need for a typical OTT subscription. But here's the catch. While the actor launches his platform, some of his iconic films are still streaming on OTT platforms. If you're a fan of Aamir or just love good cinema, here is your last chance to watch these gems on a friendly budget. With that in mind, here we have listed some must-watch Aamir classics you can stream now. Ghajini The psychological action-thriller stars Aamir as Sanjay, a man suffering from short-term memory loss who is on a mission to avenge his girlfriend Kalpana's murder. Asin's gripping performance adds depth to the heartbreaking narrative and chances are, your eyes will well up with tears after watching the film. Earth Set against the backdrop of the India-Pakistan partition, Earth tells the story of Lenny, a young girl and her caretaker Shanta, played by Nandita Das, who finds herself developing feelings for two Muslim men — one of them played brilliantly by Aamir. Ishq It was a complete 90s masala entertainer and remains a fan favourite for many reasons. Aamir leaves a lasting impact with his gripping performance as a mischievous and fun-loving guy who falls for Juhi Chawla's character. Ajay Devgn and Kajol also play one of the pairs, bringing drama and unforgettable chemistry. Raja Hindustani The story of the film follows the love story between a rich girl and a poor taxi driver, both navigating societal challenges as they tie the knot with each other. In the film, Aamir delivered one of the most emotional performances of his career. The film became a pop culture phenomenon for many reasons, including his chemistry with Karisma Kapoor, the iconic songs, and the first bold kiss on screen. view comments First Published: July 30, 2025, 17:53 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
AR Murugadoss blames ‘inability to understand Hindi' for Salman Khan's Sikandar failure: ‘I feel handicapped, don't understand what's happening on set'
When AR Murugadoss-Salman Khan's Sikandar was first announced, it was promoted as the next big thing after Atlee-Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan. The collaboration looked promising because it was the same filmmaker who worked with Aamir Khan for the 2008 film Ghajini, which became a blockbuster hit. However, Sikandar couldn't even earn 15% of what Jawan made at the worldwide box office. Sikandar's lifetime collection stood at Rs 184.6 crore against Jawan's Rs 1,160 crore. Now, after nearly four months of its release, filmmaker AR Murugadoss has made a shocking statement, explaining the reason behind Sikandar's box office debacle. During the promotion of his upcoming film Madharaasi, the filmmaker spoke about the failure of the Salman Khan-starrer film and blamed his inability to understand Hindi. He 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.' ALSO READ | Arijit Singh charges Rs 2 crore for a performance, would once come and sit in my office for hours, says Monty Sharma: 'Audio companies are making mad money' 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 into English. Then it is again translated in Hindi. We can only guess what they are saying, but we are exactly not sure about what is happening. When you make 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. The statement came as a shocker to many as Sikandar is not the only Hindi film the Tamil filmmaker has directed in his career. He is also behind Akshay Kumar's 2014 film, Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, which too like Ghajini, opened to positive reviews. That film earned Rs 180 crore against a budget of Rs 50 crore. His statement prompted people to question him. A user on X commented, 'Then why do you get lured by the payment and direct Hindi films?' Another user wrote, 'Who forced him to do that handicapped task?' Other comments read, 'So how come Holiday & Ghajini become blockbuster? If no power in story & execution then output will come zero only. No need to give such excuses.'
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
AR Murugadoss breaks silence on 'Sikandar' failure, says "My full potential comes out only in mother tongue films"
Director A.R. Murugadoss, after 'Darbar' with , directed a Hindi film 'Sikandar' with . The film, which was released as a pan-India release, did not receive the expected response from the fans and critics. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now AR Murugadoss has spoken directly about the failure for the first time and has expressed his views. In particular, he pointed out that the satisfaction and connection that come from making a film in one's mother language are not available in other languages. AR Murugadoss reflects on hits in Tamil vs. mixed results in Hindi and Telugu AR Murugadoss, who gave Tamil cinema hits like 'Dheena', 'Ramana', 'Ghajini', 'Thuppakki', '7aam Arivu', 'Kaththi', and 'Sarkar', achieved success by directing the Hindi film 'Ghajini'. Then came the success of 'Holiday' and the failure of 'Akira' in Hindi for the director. While 'Spyder' was an average hit in Telugu, and the starrer failed to meet expectations. In this series, the failure of 'Sikandar' was considered by fans to be against AR Murugadoss' style. Says native language offers better cultural connection Speaking with Cinema Vikatan in this context, AR Murugadoss said, "Only when a film is made in one's mother language can the behavior, culture, and what the audience wants of that community be understood. Accordingly, trends can be incorporated into the film. That will create a strong connection. But this is not possible when doing films in other languages. You just have to trust the script," he said. Language barriers limit emotion AR Murugadoss also said that when directing a film in Hindi, there is difficulty in understanding the language and culture. "The dialogue we write is translated in several stages. The question arises as to what that original idea is. As a director, only if you understand the language well can you infuse the full emotion into the film. That is why my full potential can only be revealed in mother language films," said AR Murugadoss with resiliency.
