Media365
Salman Khan’s Sikandar has emerged as the actor’s second flop in a row on Eid after 2023’s Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. It seems like to surpass the collection of his last box office disaster may be an uphill task for his latest. Salman’s films have become synonymous with Eid, turning the festival into a highly anticipated event for his fans.
Over the years, his Eid releases, including Wanted, Dabangg, Bodyguard, Kick and Bajrangi Bhaijaan and more, have consistently dominated the box office. However, this time, the Eid winner at the box office was not Salman’s film but Mollywood release L2: Empuraan.
Starring Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran, L2: Empuraan was one of the most anticipated sequels of Indian cinema. Amid much hype, the film arrived on March 27 and also released in IMAX. With a ₹21 crore opening, it became the biggest Malayalam opener of all time. In 8 days since its release, Empuraan has minted ₹87.48 crore at the domestic box office. However, its worldwide collection is ₹230.7 crore so far. The overseas biz of the film in a little over a week is ₹140 crore. All this while it has been mired in controversy over its alleged “anti-Hindu” propaganda and scenes alluding to the 2001 Gujarat riots. Reportedly, the film will undergo re-edits.
In contrast, Sikandar has collected ₹88.78 crore in five days in India. While Salman’s film may lead by a whisker at the domestic box office, its worldwide collection is ₹140.25 crore, with overseas biz of ₹40 crore. L2: Empuraan is in the lead due to its strong overseas collection.
The budget of Mohanlal’s film is reported to be ₹180 crore. Sikandar, meanwhile, is made on ₹200 crore. Reportedly, Salman, who is a co-producer on the project, has charged ₹120 crore for the film. Mohanlal and Prithiviraj have agreed to profit-sharing in L2: Empuraan, thus helping the filmmaking cost to go down.
