Sikandar is a big-budget project that reunites the star power of Salman Khan and the directorial expertise of A.R. Murugadoss, who directed Ghajini. The movie, which was produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, was their first collaboration and one of the most eagerly awaited releases of the year. I was quite looking forward to the movie as it was a big-budget film with more than 200 crores invested in production. But the delivery was a huge disappointment and the performances lacked in several departments.
Performances:
Salman Khan, as always, infuses Sikandar with his screen presence. Having double roles in the film, he proves how talented an actor he is. His performance of Sikandar is charismatic and commanding. Unfortunately, the dialogue and weak characterization don’t hold much water. The supporting ensemble, such as Rashmika Mandanna, Kajal Aggarwal, and Sathyaraj, perform alright. Rashmika Mandanna, in particular, stands out with her natural acting and chemistry with Salman Khan. Sharman Joshi and Prateik Babbar, playing antagonists, give their best but are limited by the one-dimensional nature of their characters. I had gone just for Salman Khan, but in spite of giving him so much screen presence, he could have done better.
Storyline:
The story of "Sikandar" is about Sanjay Sikandar Rajkot, who becomes the target of Minister Rakesh Pradhan after he kills his son. The twist in the story comes when Sikandar’s wife’s donated organs save three lives, and Rakesh decides to take revenge, making Sanjay guard these people. Although the idea is interesting, the execution fails. The movie attempts to interweave action, drama, and suspense but fails to hold a story together. There are flashes of real tension and suspense, especially in the action scenes, but these tend to be undermined by predictable plot surprises.
Positive Points:
Cinematography- The production standards are top notch, and the ₹200 crore budget is clearly evident on screen. Tirru’s cinematography is stunning, balancing large-scale action scenes with dramatic moments.
Action- The action scenes are one of the standout elements of the picture. The action is well-choreographed and shoots as if these scenes are putting Salman Khan’s action hero prowess to the test.
Music- The music this time around is another winning element, with Pritam composing the songs and Santhosh Narayanan composing the background tracks. Both the songs and background music are catchy and well-placed.
Negative Points:
Script- The negatives override the positives in Sikandar. The most obvious one is the script, which is rambling and inconsistent. The dialogues comes across as forced and artificial.
Pacing- The pacing of the movie is uneven, with long parts of slow-paced dialogue sequences and then accelerated action sequences.
No Character Development- Lack of character development is another weak area. Except for Salman Khan’s Sikandar, all the other characters are one-dimensional and underdeveloped.
Predictable Plot- Too many plot points seem predictable and the film resembles most Bollywood action films.
Final Verdict:
Overall, Sikandar is a lot of hype without much payoff. It may have high production values, great visuals, and a few pulse-pounding action scenes, but it fails on the most important fronts, that of storytelling. If you are actually a Salman Khan then it is a good one time watch otherwise, a total waste of time in the theatres.