Salman Khan’s ‘Sikandar’ Ends Rashmika Mandanna’s Post-‘Animal’ Winning Streak

Fast Summary:

• rashmika Mandanna plays the female lead in Salman Khan’s Sikandar, which released on March 30, 2025.
• Sikandar opened to largely negative reviews and has underperformed at the box office, ending Rashmika’s streak of consecutive hits (Animal, Pushpa 2, and Chhaava).
• Her prior films were major successes:

– Pushpa 2: ₹1,234.1 crore (highest-grossing Indian film ever).
– Animal: ₹553.87 crore.
– Chhaava: ₹584.85 crore domestic collection.

• Critics attributed Sikandar’s failure to a dull storyline, poor VFX, and weak performances.
• Box office earnings for Sikandar:

– Day 1: ₹26 Cr
– Day 2: ₹29 Cr
– Current total as of publication: ₹65 Cr (underwhelming performance for an Eid release).

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The failure of salman Khan-led Sikandar highlights growing audience expectations in the post-pandemic era where content quality frequently enough outweighs star power at the box office. Despite a festive release window like Eid-a traditionally lucrative period for Bollywood-the film’s unimpressive collections suggest that relying on formulaic narratives may no longer resonate with viewers who increasingly seek engaging stories.

For Rashmika Mandanna, this marks a deviation from her recent trajectory of blockbuster successes (Pushpa 2, Animal, and Chhaava). While one misstep may not severely impact her standing in bollywood given her strong record, it underscores how even big-name actors are vulnerable when tied to poorly written productions.

Salman Khan continues facing challenges maintaining his legacy amid mounting failures from recent releases. Industry stakeholders might view these trends as indicative of shifting dynamics in consumer preferences toward fresh scripts over predictable formulas-a potential opportunity for writers and filmmakers striving to innovate.

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