Bhubaneswar: Salman Khan starrer Sikandar had sky high expectations. The Sajid Nadiadwal movie was considered the megastar’s comeback moment on big screen. The film had all the hype as Ghazini fame director AR Murugadoss helmed the movie.
But when the film hit the cinema screens this Eid, it opened to a dull opener.
Prior to the release of the film, the Salman starred Sikandar has hit a massive piracy scandal.
Within hours of its Sunday morning release, illegal platforms leaked the film online. Telegram groups and torrent websites offered free downloads and streaming links.
Interesting details emerged out recently. The reports suggest that the pirated version is not just a copy. It includes some missing scenes from the theatrical cut.
With original shooting scenes zoomed in the pirated prints of Sikandar, the leak scandal now brings the angle of an insider’s job.
HOW INSIDER ROLE PINNED DOWN?
According to a news report, the leaked version has several scenes that the final cut has removed.
For instance, the pirated versions run the scenes of Salman Khan’s character learns about Rashmika Mandanna’s wish to become a lawyer after her death. Medical students discuss pollution in Dharavi. Sathyaraj’s character discovers the three individuals who received Rashmika’s organs.
Another shocking scene shows Kajal Agarwal attempting suicide.
Moreover, the pirated version also lacks key musical moments. It does not include Iulia Vantur’s rendition of Lag Ja Gale or Salman Khan’s performance of Ajeeb Dastaan.
These majo mismatches point to the fact that the leak could be an inside job.
The buzz in the B-town on the piracy scandal is this shows the leak could be an insider job and that it probably happened after the film was passed by the CBFC.
HOW THE LEAK BECAME PUBLIC?
Hints of a possible leak appeared before Sikandar’s release. Ravi Desai, head of the Salman Khan Fan Club on X, told Mid-Day that suspicious activity occurred days before the premiere.
Desai explained, “On March 26, a handle posted an unseen image from the film and claimed they would release the film’s prints. Later, that account vanished. On Saturday at 11:30 pm, a print was released from another X handle. It was first available on HDM [a torrent website], and from there, it spread everywhere by midnight.”
What seems baffling is, the film’s team has not yet released any official statement on the leak, though senior film critic Komal Nohta had told ANI that Sajid Nadiadwala has asked authorities to clamp down on the sites that has released the pirated version of the movie.
SIKANDAR MOVIE
Directed by AR Murugadoss, Sikandar is backed by producer Sajid Nadiadwala, marking his collaboration with Salman after their 2014 hit Kick. The film also stars Prateik Patil, Sathyaraj, Jatin Sarna, and Sharman Joshi. With high-octane action and emotional depth, Sikandar aimed to be a crowd-puller. But this piracy controversy has cast a shadow over its box office run.
