Where is Sikandar’s trailer? A natural question to ask of a film that is only 11 days away from release. While Salman Khan’s fans are counting days to his March 28 offering, the countdown is bearing heavy on the makers, who are apparently racing against time to lock the trailer as well as the final product. mid-day has learnt that patch shoots are underway for AR Murugadoss’ directorial venture, with two shoots conducted over the weekend even as the editing process is ongoing.
A crew member reveals, “On Saturday, a small action bit was filmed with a crowd of about 50 people at the Golden Tobacco Factory in Vile Parle. The next day, another small shoot took place at Filmalaya Studio. These shots will be used in the trailer, which is being cut. The patchwork shoots ranged between 15 minutes to an hour, but were important for the movie.”
Sikandar, also starring Rashmika Mandanna, has been designed as Khan’s grand Eid release and its trailer was expected to drop in early March. Industry insiders suggest that the tight schedule is the reason for the trailer’s delay. However, another source points out that Khan and Murugadoss have been drumming up interest around the movie with its song drops. “Murugadoss is known to be meticulous, and wants to deliver an action spectacle with Sikandar. The post-production team is working round the clock to lock the final cut. It’s not as if the audience has not been introduced to Sikandar’s world. With a song drop every few days, the actor-director duo has ensured that viewers are invested in the film. The trailer will further heighten their excitement,” says a crew member.
Another source assures that despite the last-minute shoots, Sikandar is on track. “It’s a race against time, but Salman and Murugadoss are clear on delivering a blockbuster,” says the source.
The buzz in the trade circle, however, is that the film’s marketing roll-out has been affected. A distributor, on the condition of anonymity, notes, “Usually, the momentum is built with the teaser, followed by the trailer. With no sign of a trailer, the team will have to rely heavily on Salman’s star power and a shorter promotional window. The advance booking will probably begin within a day of the trailer’s release. You aren’t giving the audience any time to decide whether they want to watch it on the first day.”
Salman’s Eidi over the past 15 years
A still from Bodyguard; Bajrangi Bhaijaan was a huge success; Katrina Kaif in Bharat
. Dabangg (2010)
. Bodyguard (2011)
. Kick (2014)
. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)
. Sultan (2016)
. Tubelight (2017)
. Race 3 (2018)
. Bharat (2019)
. Radhe (2021)
. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023)
