Sikandar Trailer Review: Missing Salman Magic

Will Salman's latest endeavour finally mark a pulpy return to form? Sadly, no, answers Mayur Sanap.

A Salman Khan entertainer is a totally fun way to spend a breezy two hours or so in theatre packed with a frenzied crowd.

This is one primary reason to feel excited about Sikandar, which sets up Salman with Tamil hit machine director A R Murugadoss, known to the Hindi audience for directing the Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini.

After Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn failed to lit up Eid last year with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Maidaan respectively, Salman returns to dominate the screens this year with Sikandar.

The trailer gives an impression that this is a neatly curated larger-than-life spectacle with no dearth of seeti maar dialogue, dhamakedaar action and a tadka of romance and emotion.

This is the same old formula for masala entertainment that masses have been craving for in a Bhai film.

Will Salman's latest endeavour finally mark a pulpy return to form?

Sadly, no.

Sikandar looks like a lazy mish-mash of what Salman is comfortable doing of late, rather than what he is capable of. Think of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sultan and to an extent, Bharat married his larger-than-life persona with a well-meaning package of entertainment.

Sikandar is reminiscent of his botched-up star vehicles like Jai Ho, Race 3 and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan where Salman seems to have lost his touch.

The trailer puts him a messiah hero avatar who is on a mission to handle the injustice prevalent in the society.

This mass hero template looks like a re-hash of Murugadoss' now familiar style and story-world with a heavy dose of his films like Sarkar, Darbar and Thuppakki (remade in Hindi as Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty with Akshay Kumar).

We also get a glimpse of Baahubali's Sathyaraj playing a villain with the same tempo as Prakash Raj in Wanted.

Rashmika Mandanna plays a romantic interest which might be the core of Salman's motivations in the film...or is she playing a figment of his imagination? The trailer has enough hints to suggest that.

A lot is being discussed about their glaring age difference but it is the absolute lack of chemistry between them that stunned me.

We will still be seated for Sikandar, to relive the nostalgia of a good old Salman Khan entertainer.

Deep down, we know the star and Eid deserve better.