Salman Khan discovered Rashmika Mandanna on Instagram reels, suggested her name for this film before Sikandar: 'Kaun hai yeh ladki'

Salman Khan is set to entertain audiences on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr with his latest release Sikandar, slated to hit theatres worldwide on March 30. The action thriller stars Rashmika Mandanna as the leading lady, who is having a purple patch at the box office with her last three releases - Animal, Pushpa 2: The Rule, and Chhaava crossing Rs 500 crore in India.

In their latest interview with Zoom, Salman revealed how he discovered Rashmika on the Instagram reels and suggested her name for the 2018 film Antim: The Final Truth. The Sultan actor said, "We were looking for a girl for a film. Rashmika's reels used to keep popping in front of me on social media. I wondered kaun hai yeh ladki (who's this girl). I told Aayush (Sharma) that she is the right girl for Antim." He added that Aayush then told him that she is a superstar in south.

The 2018 film Antim: The Final Truth starred Salman Khan and his brother-in-law Aayush Sharma in the leading roles. Mahima Makwana made her Bollywood debut in the film directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, who also played a pivotal role in Antim. Produced by Salman Khan under his banner Salman Khan films, the action drama failed to work wonders at the box office.

Coming back to Sikandar, it is directed by AR Murugadoss, who has helmed popular Tamil movies such as Spyder, Thuppakki, and Darbar among others. The filmmaker marked his Bollywood debut with the blockbuster Ghajini in 2008. Murugadoss then made two more Hindi films, Holiday in 2014 and Akira in 2016. Sikandar marks his return to Bollywood after nine years.

Apart from Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna, Sikandar also features Kajal Aggarwal, Sathyaraj, Sharman Joshi, Prateik Babbar, Kishore, and Jatin Sarna in supporting roles. The action thriller is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under his banner Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.