Sikandar movie review: Salman Khan makes MASSY comeback with AR Murugadoss, Rashmika Mandanna shines despite limited role

Director: AR Murugadoss

Star cast: Salman Khan, Rashmika Mandanna, Satyaraj, Sharman Joshi

Runtime: 2hr 30mins

Where to watch: In cinemas

Rating: 3.5 stars

King of Rajkot, Sanjay Rajkot (Salman Khan), suffers a major loss by losing his loving wife, Saisri Rajkot (Rashmika Mandanna). Then, Sanjay gets a new objective in life, to protect three people whose lives were saved by Saisri from an evil, corrupt politician Rajesh Pradhan (Satyaraj). Rajkot's king travels to Mumbai to save them, and what follows is an entertaining rollercoaster ride that will make you thrilled and emotionally happy.

First things first, Sikandar will surprise you big time. The teaser of the film created a bad first impression. But the film is actually a good entertainer. It is emotionally charged, packed with good action sequences, and features Salman's timeless charisma.

Salman is loved for his action, but this time he will amaze you with his hold on the emotional scenes. The film starts with an interesting setup, leading to one of the best entry sequences of Salman Khan. Bhaijaan beating bad guys on an airplane, and protecting a mother will make you whistle hard. 

Soon we are transported to Rajkot, where Raja Saab Sanjay is loved by his people. They worship Sikandar as he is his people's king. He lives for his janta and can do anything for him. However, in his duties, he ignores Saisri, and her desire to spend more time with him. Within a few minutes of the film and eye-dazzling Zohra Jabeen, the film takes a huge dramatic turn, leading to the death of Saisri. What happens next is something you should watch in cinemas. Why Sanjay travels to Mumbai, and how he seemingly brings changes in different lives will leave you emotionally satisfied. 

Sikandar is not just a routine Salman Khan film, with Bhaijaan going all out, breaking bones, unleashing wrath on baddies. But he has evolved as a person who wants to bring changes in society through his actions, and not by violence. Salman gives a subtle message of brotherhood by donning a Kesari chola and holding Bhagwad Geeta. He also gives a shout-out to woman empowerment, challenges age-old patriarchal thinking, and all happens without boring you. Sikandar works because the film has a heart in its right place. The action is backed by strong emotion, and that's what makes you interested. 

Speaking about performances, Salman is back and how. It's been a long when we saw our Bhaijaan crying. He is good in action, but excellent in emotional scenes. He also danced well in Sikandar Naache. Salman subtly gives out a message to his haters that he's here to stay. Yes, there are a few sequences where he lacked impact, and that's because of the rushed screenplay and choppy editing. 

Rashmika Mandanna again shines as the ideal wife, and despite limited scope, her character stands out because of her impressive acting chops. The chemistry between them is good, but you will miss the spark, because their back story was not explored. Rashmika does mention the age gap and gives an explanation that justifies the difference between them. 

Satyaraj (Baahubali's Kattapa) as politician Rajesh is believingly sinister and does a fine job. But after a point, his character looks caricaturish. Prateik Smita Patil is just there and has nothing more to offer other than the one-tone baddie, a character he has played before. Sharman Joshi provides decent support, but sadly, his character is not well-explored. Kajal Aggarwal and Anjali Dhawan were also decent.  

Let's talk about shortcomings, director AR Murugadoss falters in making Sikandar as emotionally charged as Ghajini or Holiday. Sikandar is nowhere close to Ghajini. After a point, it also becomes predictable, but still, it works because of Salman Khan. Rashmika and Salman's chemistry could have been at par with Aamir-Asin, but the script doesn't leave room for them. Apart from Johra Zabeen and Sikandar Naache, the music disappoints, and even the BGM falls short of expectations. The film could have been something else if the script could have been more impactful. 

Overall, despite the flaws, Sikandar works because Salman has given some huge disappointments in the past few years (read: Race 3, Radhe, KKBKKJ). Sikandar is much better than these films, and thus it marks a massy comeback of Salman Khan. With this film, Bhaijaan has given a strong message to his haters ki "Tiger Zinda Hai".