Film: Sikander
Cast: Salman Khan, Rashmika Mandanna, Sathyaraj
Directed by: A.R. Murgadoss
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes?
Rating: * *
Following the releases of Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Sultan in 2015 and 2016, respectively, Salman Khan's career has faced a downward trajectory marked by a series of unsuccessful films. The arrival of Sikander has been met with little excitement, suggesting it may also depart the same way. Despite the involvement of A.R. Murgadoss, you would expect some kind of anticipation to build up but maybe the filmmakers knew it was a lost cause. The only positive aspect is that Sikander is not as bad as Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023), Radhe (2021), or Tubelight (2017), but then that is not saying much. The standards have fallen so low in recent years that they have reached rock bottom.
Evidently, there is a lack of genuine effort to present something innovative, unless one considers a taxi driver in Mumbai named De Niro as a point of reference. Many scenes evoke a sense of déjà vu; the film begins aboard an aircraft, accompanied by unsettling music as the camera zooms in on Arjun (Prateik Babbar, sporting a ponytail). The film makes it clear from the outset that he is the antagonist, ensuring no misinterpretation of his character. For no discernible reason, he begins to intimidate a female passenger with a child, but fear not, as Sanjay, also known as Sikander or Raja sahab (Salman Khan), intervenes and swiftly subdues him. Notably, much of this action unfolds in slow motion, a detail as obvious as the colour of the sky. Sikander was named Sanjay, the first name in honour of Alexander the great, and then Sanjay Dutt, as his father admired Nargis and Sunil Dutt. Additionally, he is the Raja of Rajkot, residing in an opulent mansion with a dining table so lengthy that it would take Usain Bolt a minute to run across.
Sanjay is married to a caring wife, Saisri (Rashmika Mandanna), who enjoys painting and other creative pursuits. However, Sanjay is preoccupied with his work and the welfare of others and has not time to look at her paintings. Their relationship features a noticeable age gap, which is addressed by the line, "Hamari umr mein farak hain, soch mein nahi" (There is an age difference between us, but our thoughts are aligned). He even organises a private drone show for her, highlighting their affection. The couple enjoys significant respect in Gujarat, and the public holds them in high regard. Despite the contemporary setting, the royal aspect of their lives seems somewhat out of place, though this is just one of the film's many peculiarities.
Meanwhile, the father of a harasser from the airplane incident is revealed to be the son of a Maharashtra minister (Sathyaraj), who seeks revenge-demonstrating that hell hath no fury like a minister scorned. He enlists a corrupt police officer to pursue Raja saheb, who briefly seeks refuge in another palace-like structure. An employee there remarks, "Yeh khufiya jagah hain, yahan koi nahi a ayega" (This is a secret place, no one will come here), I guess they couldn't' find a more modest building to hide.
As the film transitions to Mumbai in its second half, the plot revolves around organ donation. A brain would have come in handy (for the screenplay too), the focus remains solely on the heart, lungs, and eyes. Raja must unleash his inner strength to confront a group of villains threatening innocent lives. He even makes a call to the top brass in Delhi and in Gujarati he tells them to reign in the minister. The writing, crafted by four writers, is strictly run of the mill.
Notably, Salman Khan displays an unusual amount of emotion, crying more than in any of his previous films. This serves to illustrate his softer side, even as he demonstrates the ability to single-handedly defeat an army of adversaries.
Sharman Joshi portrays the role of his assistant, spending much of the film either trailing his employer or simply appearing in the scene. You can tell that the actor couldn't care less. Much like the audience actually.