Sikandar Out, L2 Empuraan In: Mohanlal Starrer Replaces Salman Khan's ₹200 Cr Film As Theatres Go Empty

Sikandar, headlined by Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna, hit the big screens on March 30, coinciding with the Eid holiday. However, the film received a lacklustre response from the audience and critics alike, with some labelling it a ‘total disaster’. The massive backlash and negative word of mouth reflected on the film's business. Due to no interest in Sikandar, several exhibitors decided to replace the movie with other releases that still have an audience. Malayalam movie L2: Empuraan, John Abraham starrer The Diplomat and a select other regional releases have replaced the Salman Khan film on the big screen.

Salman Khan's Sikandar was replaced due to low occupancy 

As per Bollywood Hungama, exhibitors in various sectors have decided to decrease the number of shows of Sikandar after Eid. While the impact is not as much in mass circuits, smaller regions like Surat, Ahmedabad, Bhopal and Indore have rolled out the changes. A multiplex owner from Surat told the publication that no tickets for the film were sold between 9 am and 10 am on Monday, on the occasion of Eid, as a result of dismal reviews on Sunday. The multiplex owner told the publication, “I replaced two-night shows with All The Best Pandya and Umbarro. Both these Gujarati films are getting decent footfalls.” Some theatres in Mumbai have also replaced the Salman Khan film with the Gujarati movie.

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In Mumbai, cine-goers have also shown interest in the Malayalam movie L2: Empuraan over Sikandar. Shows in 4 multiplex chains in Mumbai were replaced by the Mohanlal starrer as well as John Abraham's The Diplomat. The low occupancy has translated into slow business for the Salman Khan starrer. The movie has not been able to cross the ₹100 crore mark at the box office even in three days despite the Eid holiday.

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Before the release of Sikandar, the makers claimed that the film had registered healthy advanced booking collections. However, it was soon reported that the numbers are inclusive of blocked seats, which is a part of corporate booking, a strategy employed to project higher interest in the project than reality. Cine-goers who caught early shows of the movie on Sunday shared that the distributors and ticketing apps were projecting ‘houseful’ scenarios for Sikandar, but the theatres were empty in actuality.