Rashmika Mandanna Reveals ‘Sikandar’ Turned Out Very Different From What Director Told Her

Rashmika Mandanna has opened up about her experience with last year’s Salman Khan-starrer Sikandar, revealing that the final film was very different from what she had been told during scripting. Despite a star-studded cast and a reported budget of ₹200 crore, the film failed to make a mark at the box office.

Rashmika Breaks Her Silence
Speaking to Telugu journalist Prema, Rashmika said, “I remember my discussion with Mr. Murugadoss. What eventually happened was very different, but when I first heard the script, it was a completely different story.”

She added, “This is actually very common in films. The story you hear initially is one thing, but during production, factors like the actors’ performances, editing, and the timing of release can change how the final film turns out. The same happened with Sikandar.”

Public Reaction
Old clips of Rashmika discussing the film have sparked renewed debate online. Viewers criticized the chemistry and performances. One user commented, “Who cares, there was no chemistry at all,” while another wrote, “Nothing could save this disaster… the lead actor’s performance was sluggish and detached. They looked more like a father-daughter pair, and the remake of Lag Ja Gale was terrible. The film was doomed from the start.”

Box Office Performance
According to Sacnilk, the ₹200 crore budget film earned just ₹185 crore worldwide. Apart from Rashmika and Salman, the film featured actors like Sathyaraj, Kajal Aggarwal, Prateik Babbar, and Sharman Joshi.

Director AR Murugadoss Speaks
AR Murugadoss had earlier commented that the film could not be executed as intended. “The story was emotional, but we couldn’t present it in a way that truly connected with the audience. Making a Hindi film was challenging because it’s not my native language, and emotions and local culture do not always translate effectively,” he said. He also mentioned that working with a superstar like Salman required script adjustments to match his style and fan expectations, and defended the actor’s late arrivals on set.

Salman Khan Responds
Salman responded to Murugadoss’ remarks on Bigg Boss, saying, “People say they regretted doing Sikandar, but I don’t agree. It had a good plot.” Regarding his tardiness, he explained it was due to a fractured rib, and highlighted that in Murugadoss’ previous film Madharaasi, he would arrive at 6 PM on set, yet the movie became an even bigger blockbuster than Sikandar.