The news of Sikandar being leaked online ahead of its theatrical release has sent shockwaves through the industry. Producers scrambled to take down the film from over 600 websites, and the media has been flooded with condemnations of piracy as a serious crime. But let’s take a step back. Is this really a case of piracy wreaking havoc on a blockbuster, or is it just a desperate PR stunt to cover up the film’s disastrous start at the box office and the scathing reviews pouring in?
It’s no secret that Sikandar has been struggling even before its release. Early reviews have been brutally honest—criticizing Salman Khan’s wooden performance, cringe-worthy dialogues, lifeless action sequences, and a plot so stale it makes cardboard look fresh. The film opened to a lukewarm response, with audiences barely reacting to what was supposed to be an "Eid extravaganza."
And then—bam!—the “news” breaks out: Sikandar has been leaked online. The timing is too perfect. The film’s poor box office performance? Blame the piracy. The horrendous reviews? Oh, that’s just because people watched the film for free online.
We’ve seen this playbook before. When a film doesn’t perform as expected, the go-to strategy is to shift the blame. If the movie flops, it’s either because of "bad marketing," "unfair competition," or in this case—piracy. It’s like a magician distracting you with a sleight of hand while the real trick happens behind your back.
The authorities pulling down the film from 600 websites? That’s the perfect distraction. While the media focuses on condemning piracy, the film’s producers quietly sweep the real problem under the rug—the fact that Sikandar is an uninspired, over-the-top mess that couldn’t even hold the attention of Salman Khan’s most loyal fans.
Let’s not forget the impact of piracy on the industry—it’s a serious issue. But in this case, it feels like a convenient scapegoat. The film’s failure is not because people watched it online before its release. It’s because the content was flat-out bad. The action sequences felt robotic, the emotional beats fell flat, and Salman Khan’s performance was more about flexing muscles than delivering any real acting.
Sure, the leak might have affected the film’s theatrical performance to some extent, but the truth is, Sikandar was already sinking. If anything, the leak has given the producers a lifeline—a way to shift the narrative from “the film is a disaster” to “the film was sabotaged.”
But let’s be honest: audiences aren’t that naive. They can tell the difference between a genuine piracy issue and a manufactured PR stunt. And in this case, Sikandar is both a flop and a failed cover-up.
While piracy is a real issue that deserves attention, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Sikandar’s leak feels like a desperate attempt to distract from its disastrous reception. The film’s failure isn’t because of online leaks—it’s because of poor storytelling, lackluster performances, and a plot that’s as stale as last week’s bread.
In the end, Sikandar is not just a bad movie; it’s a lesson in how not to handle failure.