Salman Khan’s ‘Sikandar’ came with a lot of anticipations this Eid poised to dominate the box office. But neither a hefty ₹200 crore budget, nor Khan’s signature charisma could save the film from becoming a colossal flop.
A. R. Murugadoss could not create the same magic with ‘Sikandar’ as he did with ‘Ghajini’ in 2008. Infact critics slammed the film badly for its clichéd storyline, lackluster action, weak screenplay, dated tropes and incoherent narrative. And while Salman Khan’s star power is often enough to pull a film through, it could not mask Sikandar’s predictable plot and its utterly uninspired execution.
It was the film’s per-release hype and the festive release that led to a decent opening but soon enough bad word-of-mouth spread and ‘Sikandar’s box office collection began to nosedive. It even led to show’s getting cancelled as people preferred Vicky Kaushal’s ‘Chhaava’ more. Online leaks made it even worse for ‘Sikandar’.
But all this is now in the past and it is now headed to Netflix which offers the film a fresh battleground. We have recently seen films like ‘The Diplomat’, ‘Odela 2’ and ‘Ten Hours’ finding redemption on OTT after underwhelming theatrical runs, will the same happen for ‘Sikandar’?
It has a star studded cast which includes Rashmika Mandanna and also delivers a social message. Moreover, Netflix’s algorithm driven visibility and the platform’s global reach could help ‘Sikandar’ boost its viewership numbers. Not to forget there’s nothing much available otherwise this weekend on OTT. But will all this be enough to draw the curious viewers seeking light, masala entertainment?
Honestly, redemption seems a far fetched dream for ‘Sikandar’ given its core flaws that hold it back. OTT audience mostly prioritises substance over star power and given ‘Sikandar’s obsolete theme, repetitive action and lack of emotional depth, it might further alienate them. Therefore, ‘Sikandar’s Netflix debut may attract some casual views from those looking for that nostalgic Salman Khan suave, but there is hardly any artistic merit in the film to rewrite its narrative as a cinematic triumph on OTT.