Salman Khan reacts to being called “unprofessional” & being blamed for ‘Sikandar’s failure

Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has finally addressed the ongoing chatter surrounding his alleged unprofessional behaviour during the filming of “Sikandar”. 

The actor currently hosting Bigg Boss season 19 spoke candidly about the controversy during the latest Weekend Ka Vaar episode. Addressing the issue head-on, Salman clarified that his delay timings on set were not due to negligence but because of an injury he had suffered during the shoot of the movie itself.

The director, admitting to coming late to sets, said, “I used to come to set at 9pm,’ which is true, but that was because my rib was broken.” Salman revealed, drawing laughter and applause from the live audience. The actor went on to defend his professionalism and commitment to his craft. People can say what they want, but I never compromise on my work. If something doesn’t click with the audience, that doesn’t mean anyone was unprofessional, he asserted.

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In his trademark witty style, Salman also took a subtle dig at the filmmakers. A. R. Murugadoss, the latest South Indian, released “Madharaasi” without directly naming him. “He’s made another movie now, “Madharaasi. “It’s a very big film – a much bigger blockbuster than ‘Sikandar’,” Salman said with a grin, leaving the audience amused with his sarcasm. The actor further shared that “Sikandar” was initially a joint collaboration between Murugadoss and producer Sajid Nadiadwala, but both eventually distanced themselves when production hurdles arose. “I still believed in the story and stood by it till the end. I don’t regret doing Sikandar. It was an emotional film, and I am proud of it,” he added. For the uninitiated, Sikandar director Murugadoss had earlier attributed the film’s underperformance to Salman’s late arrivals on set, claiming that his schedule disrupted shoot timings, especially during sequences involving young co-stars.

The filmmaker also admitted that while the script had strong emotional potency, the execution didn’t meet the vision. To this, Salman maintained a composure while reflecting on the film’s fate. He said, ‘Not every movie works, and that’s fine.’ The important thing is to respect the effort and move forward.

Earlier, while talking to IANS exclusively, actor-producer Nikhil Dwivedi, who was associated with Salman on “Dabangg 3” as a producer, subtly countering Murugadoss’ statement, had shared his experience of working with Khan. “I will give you an example – for the last 10 to 15 years, all of Salman’s films have been releasing mostly on Eid; that means he is working back to back because he has to catch a particular date.” Putting a contrast to the “Salman being late” claim, Nikhil added, “How do you think he has been able to catch a particular date for the last 10 to 15 years without actually finishing that film on time? How can he finish that film on time if he is not shooting enough?”

Talking further, he said, “Are you saying that an artist needs to arrive on the sets at 9 AM to show that he is dedicated? Or is it important that he is spending enough time on the sets, shooting that film, working back to back to catch a particular date? Of course, you can debate whether you have liked the film or not liked the film, but you have to understand they are all large films. It takes 120 to 180 days to shoot a film with Salman, which means he is working non-stop for those 6 months on a film.” He added, “On top of that, Salman is doing Bigg Boss. Has there ever been a weekend where he just randomly didn’t show up or was late without a valid reason? It’s always either because he’s out of the country or busy with another shoot. So clearly, he’s showing up and honouring his commitments.”

Dwivedi further elaborated on how an artist should be given the liberty to choose a time that he’s convenient with to shoot. “Maybe everyone’s expecting the shoot to begin at 11 AM — but maybe it won’t. Maybe the artist prefers to start at 2 PM instead. That’s his prerogative as an artist; he knows when he’s most comfortable working. So I think this whole debate is overblown. Salman’s reputation speaks for itself,” added Nikhil. He also said, “Salman never clarifies, nor does he ever take a stand for himself. So, because he doesn’t clarify, I think it’s now become easy to tout Salman as unprofessional!”

Talking about his own experience with Salman Khan while being associated with him as a producer on Dabangg 3, Nikhil told IANS, “Firstly, Salman Khan produced it, and he allowed me to participate in it as a producer.”

He further elaborated, “I have to say he is the most easygoing actor that anybody can work with, and I am not saying this casually; I really mean it. He has no demands.”

He added, “Salman is so fuss-free that if you give any vehicle to him, he will never even look at the model of the vehicle that has been given and is absolutely okay with whatever we provide. So there’s been no difficulty at all with him.”