Bollywood action thriller Sikandar, starring Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna in lead roles, hit theaters today, Sunday, March 30, 2025. Despite a barrage of negative reviews from prominent critics, the film sparked immense hype and enthusiasm among Salman Khan’s loyal “Sallu Bhai” fans on social media. In this article, we dive into the Sikandar first day collection report to determine whether the Salman Khan magic worked its charm at the box office or if the film fell short of expectations.
According to early estimates by industry analyst Sacnilk, Sikandar raked in approximately ₹26.48 crore India net on its opening day (March 30, 2025) across all languages, with figures still being updated as of 10 PM IST. This estimate is based on live data, factoring in advance bookings and initial show reports, though the final tally is expected to solidify as more numbers roll in. Meanwhile, The Indian Express pegged an earlier estimate at ₹21.96 crore India net by 9 PM IST, hinting at a possible climb as evening and night show collections are fully accounted for.
The film kicked off with a robust advance booking performance, grossing around ₹10.09 crore (excluding blocked seats) and selling over 3.38 lakh tickets nationwide. Occupancy-wise, Sikandar recorded an overall Hindi occupancy of 20.95% on its first day, with evening shows peaking at 25.08%. While these numbers reflect a decent start, they fall short of the blockbuster territory some had anticipated. Pre-release predictions fluctuated wildly—some insiders banked on Salman Khan’s star power and the Eid release timing to propel the film past ₹30 crore, while others forecasted a more modest ₹23-28 crore, depending on walk-in audiences and word-of-mouth buzz.
However, Sikandar faced a significant hurdle: an HD leak surfaced online shortly after its release, potentially denting its box office haul. Despite this setback, Salman Khan’s die-hard fanbase showed up in droves, ensuring a respectable opening. In comparison, the film trails behind Khan’s previous hit Tiger 3, which debuted at ₹44.5 crore, but it outshines his recent misfire Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. As hourly updates continue to trickle in, the final first-day India net collection is projected to land between ₹25-30 crore, with a slight chance of edging higher if late-night shows in key markets like Maharashtra and Delhi deliver strong turnouts.
On the global front, worldwide figures—including overseas collections—are yet to be fully tallied, but they’re expected to push the day-one gross beyond ₹35 crore once finalized. As the dust settles, fans and analysts alike are keeping a close eye on the numbers—stay tuned for the latest updates!
Looking ahead, Sikandar’s fate hinges on its performance during the working weekdays. Critics have already dampened the initial hype with an avalanche of negative reviews, and now, only positive word-of-mouth from the public can steer it away from the brink of a box office disaster.
Will Salman Khan’s magic hold strong, or will this action-packed thriller falter under the weight of its challenges? Only time—and ticket sales—will tell.