Sikandar public reviews: Fans say ‘full effort to sabotage Salman Khan's image’ amid movie's HD leak

As Salman Khan’s much-awaited Eid 2025 release, Sikandar, hit the theatres on Sunday, March 30, netizens were divided on how they felt about it. From ‘cringefest’ to a ‘blockbuster’, the initial viewers of Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna's movie took to social media to share their reviews.

The film is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by AR Murugadoss.

However, as Salman Khan's fans and non-fans locked horns about how the movie really was, Sikandar was leaked in HD on social media. Fans have claimed that the leak is ‘full effort to sabotage image’ of Salman Khan, while others said it was a PR stunt to save the actor from a “dud film”.

This leak will likely affect the overall earnings of the film, which was seen as Salman Khan’s potential entry into the ₹500-crore club.

Sharing a link for the allegedly leaked movie, a social media user said, “Better to not waste your single penny on Sikandar or Salman Khan.”

Here's how the netizens reacted: '

“Bhoi ki acting dekh ke Rashmika 1st 30 min me hi Marr gyi. What a cringefest,” a user alleged.

“Pathetic, Unbearable, Torture,.you need a medicine after FIRST half,” said another user.

“Just finished watching Sikandar absolutely pathetic , it offers nothing , KBKJ was diamond if you compare with it .. no story, no connection like kuch vii ho raha hai ! Songs are poor!” said another user.

“Santhosh was the worst choice for Sikandar. Dull music throughout,” a user added.

However, many of the poor reviews on Twitter (presently X) seem biased and edited. It is unclear if netizens are speaking about Sikandar or some previous movie.

The movie has also faced a lot of negative publicity from Shah Rukh Khan fans.

“Entry is OK. Problem with Sikandar is that it is solely depending on Salman Khan, look how Srk reinvented himself with Pathaan & Jawan,” an SRK fan said.

However, fans have defended Salman Khan and the movie, saying that those who have watched Sikandar in theatres can vouch for how the movie is. And only those who used the pirated Telegram link for the movie are criticising it.

“Jisne bhi movie ko Theratre me dekha hai wo sab 4/5 rating de rahe hai or Khub tarif kar rahe hai aab sab kuch samajh aa gaya hai. Kharab wahi bol rahe hai jo ke jaise movies telegram se dekhte hai wo,” a user said.

“Full Effort to Sabotage Salman Khan Image.. being negativity about film to leaking... Everyone's trying from head to toe to destroy him,” claimed another user.

“This is nothing but an excuse to save Salman from a dud film !!! Find a better excuse sir,” a netizen said.

“Nothing was leaked. It's just a planned agenda to distract when collections don't meet expectations,” claimed another user.

Many of them claimed that the movie was not enjoyable at all. Many called it boring while others blamed the director of the movie – A R Murugadoss – for ‘betraying’ Salman Khan.

“It’s not that dramatic. I feel the same but I will be honest. Murugadoss disappointed,” wrote one fan.

“Bhai itna bhi natak mat kar. Mujhe bhi bolte hue dukh ho rha hai lekin me sach bolunga. Murugadoss ne dhokha de diya bhai ko,” said another fan.

However, some fans chose to see beyond the controversies and the bad reviews, and deemed the movie a “mass entertainer”. A fan said, “OG climax heartwarming story Salman Khan acting mass level like never seen before. Paisa wasool movie. Go watch first day first show only.”

Another fan said the movie was a “blockbuster” and is among “one of the best films of Salman Khan”!

"Emotionally powerful and action packed, with many goosebumps, inducing moments. It’s phenomenal, solid performances, a strong script, and, finally, the biggest comeback! The gripping screenplay and impactful performances by Salman Khan & Rashmika Mandanna stand out. Great work by the director, fantastic experience, and brilliant dialogues. Highly recommended! Go watch it now."

“Watched Sikandar with friends and sabko movie dekh ke ‘kick’ mila. Emotional angles toh hai hi but after years there’s a STRONG reason behind them in a Bhai’s movie. Scope of improvement in cuts but OMG.. BGM. Gonna watch it again with my family.. Iowa, USA,” another user wrote.

Sikandar Box Office Collection Predictions

According to Bollywood Hungama, if word of mouth is positive, the movie is expected to collect ₹40–45 crore on both Sunday and Eid Monday.

Chauhan expects a slightly lower Sunday figure of ₹25–30 crore, with a sharp spike on Eid to ₹40–50 crore. According to Taran Adarsh, Sikandar will be under pressure to outperform Tiger 3’s ₹43-crore opening.

As per Koimoi, as of 10 AM on March 29, Sikandar had earned ₹6 crore in advance bookings (excluding blocked seats), a 48% rise in the past 24 hours. However, Koimoi added that it is unlikely to reach Chhaava’s ₹13.85-crore mark or even ₹10 crore.