Salman Khan returned to the big screen this Eid with his most anticipated movie Sikandar, marking his first festive release in two years. The action thriller, directed by AR Murugadoss and featuring Rashmika Mandanna as the female lead, generated a decent amount of pre-release buzz. However, despite high expectations, the film’s opening day collection failed to match the standards set by Salman’s previous Eid blockbusters.
According to Sacnilk, Sikandar collected ₹26 crore on its first day. Given Salman Khan’s track record of delivering massive Eid openings, these numbers appear underwhelming. The film’s release on a Sunday might have impacted its opening figures. Adding to the disappointment, Sikandar could not surpass the opening day collection of Vicky Kaushal’s film Chhaava, which managed to collect ₹31 crore on its first day.
Salman Khan has long ruled the Eid box office, boasting some of Bollywood’s biggest openers. His 2016 blockbuster Sultan opened with ₹36.54 crore, while Tiger 3 (2023) raised the bar even further with a whopping ₹53.3 crore opening. For comparison, Sikandar’s ₹26 crore opening is well below that, indicating that the film might not be able to match the same level of success.
Besides Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna, the film also features talented actors such as Kajal Aggarwal, Prateik Babbar, Satyaraj, Kishore, and Sharman Joshi. Directed by A.R. Murugadoss, the film was expected to be a massive box office hit.
Despite its high expectations, Sikandar opened on Eid, March 30, 2025, earning ₹26 crore on its first day. This figure was particularly disappointing given that it fell short of Vicky Kaushal-starrer Chhaava, which had earned ₹31 crore on its opening day. Moreover, Salman's previous films have set the bar high, with the 2016 release Sultan collecting ₹36.54 crore and Tiger 3 a staggering ₹53.3 crore.
Reports indicate that Sikandar had a Hindi occupancy rate of 20.95 percent on its opening day. This figure is relatively low, and it remains to be seen how the film performs in the upcoming days and whether it shows sufficient growth.
According to early trends, Sikandar earned between ₹26 and ₹28 crore on its opening day. The initial reviews have been mixed, and the title of the highest Eid opener is far from expectations. Not only did Sikandar miss Bharat’s ₹42.30 crore, but it may also not enter Khan's top five biggest Eid openings.
As the box office report reveals, Sikandar has managed to surpass the opening day collections of several films like Dabangg, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Tubelight, and Bodyguard on its day one, but it still has a long way to go. The film is currently estimated to have earned between ₹26 and ₹28 crore, while it has surpassed the opening day collections of Sankranthiki Vasthunam (₹23 crore), L2 Empuraan (₹21 crore), and Daaku Maharaaj (₹25.35 crore).
In terms of competition, Sikandar’s release has dented the run of Mohanlal's L2: Empuraan, which had already grossed over ₹100 crore. Currently, L2: Empuraan’s total worldwide collection stands at ₹138 crore, with an overseas collection of ₹85 crore. On the same day, L2: Empuraan earned ₹14 crore from India, which is an increase compared to the previous two days. However, Sikandar’s release has impacted its earnings, which might have been even higher otherwise.
With its first-day earnings, Sikandar has secured the 37th position among the highest-opening Bollywood films, surpassing Akshay Kumar's Gold, Prabhas' Saaho, Hrithik Roshan's Fighter, and the MS Dhoni biopic. The highest-grossing Salman Khan film in India remains Tiger Zinda Hai, with a net collection of ₹339.16 crore, followed by Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which earned ₹320 crore. If Sikandar aims to become Salman Khan's highest-grossing film, it will need to surpass both of these records.
Industry experts believe Sikandar has the potential to be a massive success, possibly securing Salman Khan's spot in the ₹500-crore club. It remains to be seen how far the film goes after the first weekend.
As the film continues to be evaluated, audiences and critics alike are left wondering if Sikandar can break records and make a significant mark in Salman Khan's illustrious career.
