Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna’s Sikandar was expected to be a solid festive entertainer but the film failed to strike a chord with audiences. From weak storytelling to a noticeable lack of chemistry between the lead pair the film faced heavy criticism soon after its release. Now Rashmika Mandanna has spoken about her decision to sign the film hinting that what she agreed to initially was very different from what finally reached theatres. While Rashmika’s comments have sparked fresh debate social media seems largely convinced that Sikandar was beyond saving. What did Rashmika say about signing Sikandar? In a conversation with Telugu journalist Prema Rashmika reflected on her experience with the film and subtly suggested that the script changed production. Speaking about her initial narration she said “Sikandar I remember talking to Murugadoss sir ofcourse later what happened was very different… But when I heard the script it was indeed quite a different script.” She went on to explain how such changes are not uncommon in films. “Generally that happens with films. When you listen to something it is one story that you have listened to… but over the course of the films production things change according to the performances the edits and the release date. Things change and that is very common. So that happened with Sikandar.” How did the internet react to her remarks? A clip from Rashmika’s interview soon resurfaced on Reddit and other social media platforms reopening discussions around the film’s failure. While a few users wondered if Rashmika’s role was edited down most comments were brutally honest. One user wrote “Who cares as chemistry was 0.” Another commented “Nothing could have saved this disaster...Bhais acting was lazy and he seemed so disinterested… And they were looking like a father-daughter pair on top of that along with that horrible remake of Lagg jaa gale this film was doomed from the beginning.” A longer comment pointed fingers at post-production changes saying “They edited down the film quite a bit (20+ mins) after censor cuts… it made the film more incoherent and transitions abrupt. This completely messed up the story and narrative.” Another added “The dance and songs seemed longer than her speaking parts. But blessing in disguise as that was a bad film.” Was there a better film buried somewhere? Despite the criticism some viewers felt there may have been potential. “I do wonder how Rashmika’s role was different. I definitely felt that there was a potentially strong role buried for her in the movie” one user noted. Why did Sikandar fail? Sikandar marked Salman Khan’s return to the big screen after 2023 and director Murugadoss’ comeback to Hindi cinema after nine years. The film followed Sanjay Rajkot also known as Sikandar who sets out to protect three organ recipients after his wife’s death while facing a powerful political enemy. Made on a reported budget of Rs 200 crore the film earned only Rs 185 crore worldwide as per Sacnilk. Despite mixed reactions Salman later defended the film on Bigg Boss 19 saying “Nayi mein se koi nahi hai… log kehte hain Sikandar par main nahi manta uska plot bahut acha tha.” The film also starred Sathyaraj Kajal Aggarwal Prateik Babbar and Sharman Joshi but failed to leave a lasting impression.