Sikandar’ Crawls, While ‘Chhaava’ Runs: Salman Gets a Box Office Reality Check

Salman Khan's much-awaited action-thriller Sikandar got a mixed box office opening and collected an estimated ₹26 crore on day one. Although this is a decent opening for the AR Murugadoss film, it's below expectations and behind Vicky Kaushal's Chhaava, which minted ₹31 crore on day one.

Even though it was released a day ahead of Eid, otherwise Salman Khan's biggest money-spending time of the year, Sikandar couldn't keep pace with his last few biggest opening-day blockbusters such as Tiger 3 (₹53.3 crore) and Sultan (₹36.54 crore). Preliminary reports indicate that lukewarm reviews and an online piracy leak within hours of its release could have jolted its pace. Hindi occupancy of the film was around 21.60% with evening shows performing better than the morning ones.

Directed by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and Salman Khan Films, Sikandar has an ensemble cast involving Rashmika Mandanna and Kajal Aggarwal. Although the film has achieved the fourth-highest 2025 opening in India, it is being challenged by recent releases Chhaava and Mohanlal's L2: Empuraan. With Eid celebrations in the offing, everyone is waiting to see if Sikandar can continue its box office success.

Source: Hindustan Times, NDTV, Times of India