Is Salman Khan A Star in Decline?
Salman Khan’s latest film, Sikandar, is another testament to his steadily declining career. Over the past decade, Khan has struggled to recapture the magic that once made him a Bollywood icon. Director A.R. Murugadoss, alongside writers Rajat Arora, Hussain Dalal, and Abbas Dalal, attempts to craft a compelling action drama but instead delivers a predictable, outdated, and uninspired film.
The film reminds us of Khan’s waning energy, his reluctance to evolve, and Bollywood’s over-reliance on his star power, despite diminishing audience enthusiasm.
A Lazy Star and a Stale Story
Much like Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sikandar requires Khan to operate within his limitations, relying on his star persona rather than actual performance. The problem is, Khan’s on-screen presence is no longer enough to carry a film, making his age, complacency, and lack of effort glaringly obvious.
The story kicks off with Sanjay Rajkot (Salman Khan) assaulting a politician’s son on a flight for harassing a woman. Soon, we learn that Sanjay and his wife, Saasri (Rashmika Mandanna), belong to the royal family of Rajkot, widely beloved for their charitable endeavors. Sanjay, also called Sikandar, commands a private militia but rarely needs it, as he single-handedly defeats gangsters sent by the offended minister (Sathyaraj).
Unfortunately, Khan’s laziness infects the entire film, affecting the script, direction, and action sequences. Early on, a subordinate confesses to Sikandar that he sold weapons used in a terrorist attack in Punjab. This revelation serves no real purpose, except as a contrived excuse for an elaborate mine-fight sequence leading to a tragic accident.
Rashmika Mandanna’s Wasted Presence
Rashmika Mandanna, who already played secondary roles in major Bollywood films, is reduced to a mere plot device in Sikandar. Before even seeing her on screen, the audience hears her ghostly voice, hinting at her inevitable fate.
Murugadoss attempts to foreshadow her death with clumsy dialogue—Sikandar repeatedly assuring her safety, her attempting to share a secret that keeps getting delayed, and heavy-handed visual cues. Given Murugadoss’ history (Ghajini revolved around a dead fiancée), it’s clear Mandanna’s character is doomed.
From Royalty to Organ Donation: A Bizarre Plot Shift
While the Rajkot storyline is already absurd, the film takes an even stranger turn when Sikandar tracks down his wife’s organ recipients in Mumbai. This bizarre subplot leads to scenes of Khan interacting with slum children and promoting social causes, a trend he started after Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
This results in a mix of awkward emotional moments and unintentionally hilarious situations, including fitness-obsessed gym bros and small business ventures, all thrown in to maintain Khan’s philanthropic image.
Salman Khan’s Action: A Reluctant Hero
Despite being an action film, Sikandar fails to deliver engaging combat sequences. Unlike Tiger 3, which at least benefited from YRF’s action expertise, Sikandar lacks any sense of tension, originality, or excitement. Every fight scene is sluggish, poorly choreographed, and repetitive, mirroring Khan’s overall disinterest.
At one point, he even struggles to commit to his own fight sequences, making it clear that Indian action cinema has moved on while Khan remains stuck in the past.
Murugadoss’ Downward Trajectory
A.R. Murugadoss, once a pioneer of Tamil and Telugu cinema’s Bollywood crossover, has failed to replicate his past success (Ghajini). With Sikandar, he delivers a typical South Indian-style masala film, but without its usual flair, energy, or innovation.
The film suffers from:
- Weak, unnatural dialogues
- Poorly dubbed actors struggling with Hindi
- Unconvincing performances
- Zero emotional impact
Unlike the recent wave of South Indian cinema, which is outshining Bollywood, Sikandar has all the flaws but none of the strengths of regional blockbusters.
Salman Khan: Past His Prime
It has been:
- 9 years since his last great film (Sultan)
- 6 years since his last somewhat watchable film (Bharat)
At this point, Khan’s career trajectory is painfully obvious. Even his most loyal fans are struggling to find excitement in his projects. At a recent screening, a group of young men showed up, presumably to cheer for their hero. But apart from a few half-hearted whistles, they remained silent, uninspired, and disengaged.
In the film’s closing moments, Khan sings Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh, questioning his own journey. His career started in 1988; it needs to end now.
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