The trailer of Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna's starrer Sikandar was released on Sunday, March 23, 2025. The launch event took place in Mumbai and was attended by Salman Khan, Rashmika Mandanna, ace filmmaker AR Murugadoss, Kajal Aggarwal, Sharman Joshi, Anjini Dhawan, and Sathyaraj. Salman Khan's father, Salim Khan, also attended the event to support his son.
Salman Khan praises Rashmika Mandanna
During the event, Salman praised Rashmika for her dedication to Sikandar and revealed that she managed to shoot for Pushpa 2 while working on Sikandar.
Salman said, "Miss (Rashmika) Mandanna here has given it her best. She was shooting for Pushpa 2 till 7 PM, then she would come to the Sikandar set at 9 PM and shoot with us till 6:30 AM before heading back to Pushpa. She wasn't well either—after breaking her leg, she still continued shooting and didn't take a single day off. In many ways, she reminds me of a younger me."
In Sikandar, Salman Khan is paired opposite Rashmika Mandanna, who is 31 years younger than him. This sparked criticism, with many slamming him for romancing a much younger actress.
However, during the trailer launch, Salman addressed the backlash regarding their age difference and responded to the criticism.
Salman stated that the audience had no right to complain about the age gap if the actress herself had no issues with it.
"Social media users keep targeting me these days. Now they're saying there's a 31-year age difference between the heroine and me. But when the heroine herself doesn't have a problem, why do you?" he said.
He further added, "In the future, when she gets married, has kids, and becomes an even bigger star, she will still continue to work, right?" His remark was met with cheers and applause from the audience.
Salman Khan on Box Office Success
Salman also addressed the consistent box office performance of his films, stating that they cross Rs100 crore regardless of whether they receive positive or negative reviews.
When asked about making a comeback with an Eid release, he responded, "Eid, Diwali, New Year—whether it's a festive or non-festive period, it's the love of the people. And whether the film is good or bad, it still manages to cross ₹100 crore."
