This Eid was a bumper one for Salman Khan fans. Their bhai was back with Sikandar, his first Eid release in two years. And since the last one (remember Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan?) was a dud, this one was extra awaited. But alas, from day one, the film has failed to ignite the same kind of fire Salman films so casually did. With lukewarm reviews, the film also copped a lot of criticism online. But despite that, the collections stayed big. So it begs the question, is Sikandar a hit or a flop? The answer may not be very straightforward. (Also read: Sikandar worldwide box office collection day 6: Salman Khan’s film close to surpassing Game Changer’s lifetime haul)
Sikandar box office collection so far
Sikandar was released in theatres on Sunday, a day before Eid. It had a moderate opening, earning just over ₹54 crore worldwide, a far cry from the collections of Pathaan or Animal, both of which had minted over ₹100 crore on their opening days. In seven days since release, Sikandar has earned ₹97.50 crore net in India, and ₹187 crore worldwide. These are not great numbers for a Salman film, but decent ones for any other film.
Why the numbers are being called a disappointment are because Sikandar earned ₹26 crore on its opening day. In contrast, Salman’s Bharat had earned ₹42 crore on its opening in 2019. Even Race 3, one of his weakest releases, had earned ₹29 crore on day one just before Eid. The only Salman film that fared worse on Eid was Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, which earned just ₹13 crore on opening day in 2023. To sum it up, Sikandar is not Salman’s worst-faring film on Eid but it is closer to the bottom than it is to the top.
How Sikandar fares against recent Bollywood biggies
A litmus test of any film is how it has done against its competition. After week 1 (7 days), Sikandar has earned ₹187 crore gross worldwide. In the same duration, Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava had earned ₹307 crore, barely showing any drop over weekdays. Last year’s biggest Bollywood hit – Stree 2 – had done even better, grossing ₹388 crore worldwide in 7 days. Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal dwarfed all these films with a week one gross of ₹563 crore. But it’s Shah Rukh Khan, who rules the roost here. Both Pathaan and Jawan grossed over ₹600 crore each in their first week at the box office. Clearly, Sikandar is a long way off.
Is Sikandar a hit or flop?
A trade insider, who did not wish to be named, sums up Sikandar’s fate, “No superstar’s film is a flop these days. They don’t take salaries and depend on satellite and distribution rights. This brings down budgets and the films are able to recover costs. If not, then digital rights make sure that the film is profitable. Even Sikandar has done the same. The distributors are also not hit, so it will end up breaking even soon. But a lot of cost-cutting has gone to make sure that happens. It is still a disappointing return for Salman Khan.”
Like all mass movies, Sikandar is winding down now. It has diminished to single figure earnings at the box office now, returning just 8-9% occupancy over the weekdays now. But in the absence of strong competition, it is still exhibitors’ first choice in the theatres.
Insiders say that while Salman Khan is copping the criticism, it is his stardom that is driving the film. The other names associated with the film have conveniently stepped back as the film isn’t doing well. But just how far the sheer stardom of Salman can drive Sikandar remains to be seen.
