Sikandar (transl. Defender / Warrior) is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language action film directed by AR Murugadoss and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The film stars Salman Khan in the titular role, alongside Rashmika Mandanna, Sathyaraj and Prateik Babbar.[3]
| Sikandar | |
|---|---|
 Teaser poster | |
| Directed by | AR Murugadoss |
| Written by | AR Murugadoss |
| Dialogue by | Rajat Arora Hussain Dalal Abbas Dalal |
| Produced by | Sajid Nadiadwala Manuj Mittra |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Tirru |
| Edited by | Vivek Harshan |
| Music by | Songs: Pritam Score: Santhosh Narayanan |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Pen Marudhar Entertainment |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹200 crore[1][2] |
The film was officially announced on 10 April 2024, coinciding with the occasion of Eid. Principal photography commenced the following June in Mumbai and will reportedly be wrapped by December. The film’s music is composed by Pritam, while the background score is composed by Santhosh Narayanan, cinematography has been handled by Tirru and editing has been done by Vivek Harshan.[4]
Sikandar is scheduled to release worldwide on 28 March 2025 in theatres, coinciding with Eid al-Fitr.[5]
Cast
editProduction
editDevelopment
editIn February 2024, it was reported that Salman Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala were going to collaborate for a film after nearly a decade from the film Kick. A few days later it was reported that the film would be directed by A.R. Murugadoss.[7][8] Murugadoss initially pitched Ghajini to Khan in 2006, but it took 18 years for the duo to collaborate.[9] This collaboration had been in discussion for some time and both Nadiadwala and Murugadoss agreed that Khan was the ideal choice for the lead role.[7][8]
The official announcement of the film was made by Khan on social media platforms on Eid-al-fitr 2024 where he expressed his excitement about collaborating with AR Murugadoss and Sajid Nadiadwala.[10] The film is scheduled to be filmed across multiple countries, including Portugal, other European nations and India, throughout 2024-25.[7][8][11] With a production budget of ₹400 crore,[7] this project is Nadiadwala's most ambitious to date.[7][8]
Murugadoss is set to manage two projects as he is also working on a Tamil action film tentatively titled SKxARM, featuring actor Sivakarthikeyan.[10][1] Filming for SKxARM is expected to continue until June 2024, causing Murugadoss to divide his time between the two films during this period.[10][1] A source revealed that Murugadoss aims to complete significant portions of SKxARM before starting Sikandar.[10][1]
Casting
editIn May 2024, Rashmika Mandanna was confirmed to pair opposite Khan marking their first collaboration.[12] The film's cast also includes Sathyaraj and Prateik Babbar.[13][14] Later in September 2024, Sharman Joshi, Kajal Aggarwal and Anjini Dhawan also joined the cast.[15][16][17]
Filming
editPrincipal photography commenced on 19 June 2024 with some aerial action sequences in Mumbai.[18][19] The first schedule featured a face-off scene between Khan and Babbar and was wrapped by July 2024.[20] The second schedule began in late August and included brawls, gun fights and hand-to-hand action sequence and was shot for over 40 days across Mumbai.[21] Sets worth ₹15 crore resembling Dharavi and Matunga localities were created.[22] While filming an action sequence on the set, Khan suffered a rib injury.[23] A festive song involving Khan and Mandanna along with 200 background dancers was also shot in the same schedule.[24] However, the shooing was halted in late September due to heavy rains across Mumbai.[25] The film's shooting was halted due to security reasons as Khan received death threats from Lawrence Bishnois gang and there was also a shooting reported at his residence.[26][27] Later, the shooting got resumed in November 2024 in Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad along with high class security.[28][29]
Music
editThe film's music rights were acquired by Zee Music Company. The film's songs are composed by Pritam while the background score is composed by Santhosh Narayanan.[30][31]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Salman Khan to start AR Murugadoss' Sikandar next month; Ghajini director to juggle it with Sivakarthikeyan film". The Indian Express. 18 April 2024. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "AR Murugadoss begins shooting for Salman Khan's 'Sikander'". The Times of India. 19 June 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan to start 'Sikandar' shoot from June 20 with an action-packed schedule in Mumbai". The Times of India. 24 May 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan begins shooting for 'Sikandar', shares picture". The Statesman. 19 June 2024. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "Sathyaraj, Prateik Babbar board Salman Khan's 'Sikandar'". The Hindu. 4 July 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan to play dual roles in high-octane Sikandar; 10,000 pistols and bullets ordered for action-packed schedule: Report". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Salman Khan teams up with Sajid Nadiadwala after 10 years: reports". The Times of India. 12 February 2024. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Salman Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala, and AR Murugadoss join forces for Eid 2025 release: Report". Bollywood Hungama. 12 February 2024. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Salman Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala and AR Murugadoss team up on a big action film; Eid 2025 release". PINKVILLA. 12 February 2024. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Sikandar: Salman Khan will commence shooting in May; director AR Murugadoss to juggle two films?". Pinkvilla. 18 April 2024. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan's next with AR Murugadoss to be shot in Europe; Salman still considering Kabir Khan's film as a follow up". Bollywood Hungama. 15 February 2024. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ "Rashmika Mandanna joins Salman Khan in 'Sikandar'". The Hindu. 9 May 2024. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ "Confirmed: Sathyaraj joins Salman Khan and AR Murugadoss' Sikandar". The Indian Express. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan to begin shooting for AR Murugadoss' Sikandar | Filmfare.com". www.filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Salman Khan to be joined by Sharman Joshi in Sajid Nadiadwala's Sikandar". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ "Kajal Aggarwal begins filming for Salman Khan-Rashmika Mandanna starrer Sikandar, receives a warm welcome on set". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Varun Dhawan's niece Anjini bags a role in Salman Khan's 'Sikander'". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "Sikandar: Salman Khan begins the shoot of Sajid Nadiadwala and AR Murugadoss film, shares glimpses from the sets". The Indian Express. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ PTI (10 June 2024). "Salman Khan to start shooting for 'Sikandar' from June 18". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan, Prateik Babbar face-off in plane sequence as Sikandar's first schedule wraps: Report". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan to shoot for a lengthy schedule of over 40 days for Sikandar in Mumbai: Report". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan resumes Sikandar shoot despite rib injury; Mumbai sets cost around Rs. 15 crores: Report". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan Confirms Rib Injury Rumours: "Do Pasliyaan Tooti Hain"". NDTV. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "Sikandar: Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna shoot for festive dance number with 200 background dancers: Report". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan's 'Sikandar' shoot comes to a halt due to heavy rains in Mumbai: Report". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Has Salman Khan halted the shoot of Sikandar due to threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang? We find out..." The Times of India. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan's most hard-hit project due to his security concerns is Sikandar: "The way ahead is still very unclear"". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Amid new death threat, Salman Khan shoots with Rashmika Mandanna for Sikander in Hyderabad's Falaknuma Palace". The Indian Express. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Salman Khan resumes 'Sikandar' shoot in Hyderabad with 4-layer security cover comprising of 50-60 security personnel, NSG commandos amid death threats - DEETS inside". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Pritam to score music for Salman Khan's 'Sikandar'". The Hindu. 17 April 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "Santhosh Narayanan to make his Bollywood entry with Salman Khan and AR Murugadoss's 'Sikandar'". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 December 2024.