Salman Khan’s Sikandar failed to connect, AR Murugadoss blames Hindi language challenge

Director AR Murugadoss is currently busy promoting his upcoming Tamil film Madharasi, featuring Sivakarthikeyan in the lead. While speaking at a recent event, the filmmaker appeared to subtly reflect on the failure of Sikandar, which starred Salman Khan, suggesting that a language barrier may have played a role in how the project unfolded.

During the interaction, Murugadoss said, “When we make films in our mother tongue, it gives us strength. We know what is happening here. Today, there’s a trend going and suddenly the audience gets connected with that trend.” He added that shifting languages can sometimes disconnect the creator from the pulse of the audience.

Expanding on the topic, Murugadoss explained that Telugu feels more accessible to him, but Hindi is a language he has no command over. “For once, I can take up Telugu films, but Hindi may not work for us because after we write the script, they translate it into English. Then it is again translated into Hindi,” he said.

He further noted that making films in a language one doesn’t understand is like “being handicapped,” comparing it to not having hands. While he didn’t name Sikandar directly, the context of the statement has led many to believe he was referring to the film's commercial failure.

Sikandar featured Salman Khan as Sanjay “Sikandar” Rajkot, the last heir of a royal family in Gujarat. The story followed his emotional journey after the loss of his wife, who had pledged her organs to multiple people in Mumbai. Driven by grief and a sense of duty, Sikandar sets out to protect each person who received her organs, while an old enemy resurfaces.

The film received poor reviews and underperformed at the box office. It is currently available for streaming on Netflix.

Murugadoss has now moved on to Madharasi, which is scheduled to release on September 5, 2025. The first single, Salambala, composed by Anirudh Ravichander, will release on July 31.