Salman Khan battled profound grief of losing friend Baba Siddique while filming Sikandar, reveals co-star Vishal Vashishtha

June 19, 2026 - 5:04 PM IST

Salman Khan was fighting both heartbreak and physical pain while filming Sikandar, according to his co-star Vishal Vashishtha. The actor continued shooting despite the personal tragedy of losing his close friend, politician Baba Siddique, and a painful rib injury that made even basic movements difficult.

Salman Khan battled profound grief of losing friend Baba Siddique while filming Sikandar, reveals co-star Vishal Vashishtha

A painful shoot amid personal loss

Baba Siddique was shot dead in October 2024 outside his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Mumbai’s Bandra East. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was declared dead, and Salman was among those who reached the hospital soon after the news broke. The killing left the superstar shaken and prompted a major tightening of his security.

Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Vashishtha said Salman was “mentally and emotionally drained, and physically as well, he was going through a lot.” He added, “We saw it ourselves, it wasn’t a made-up story, it was real. He would walk slowly and somehow finish the scene. The moment the director called cut, he would go back and get physiotherapy done.”

Vashishtha noted that Salman needed to stay mobile for the film’s action sequences even as he dealt with constant pain. “He was in pain, yet he kept going. There was a life-threatening situation outside, but he was still showing up. It was tough,” he said.

Action sequences pushed back

The makers reportedly rescheduled the film’s action portions to a later phase, giving Salman time to recover before tackling the physically demanding stunts. Vashishtha recalled that the actor struggled visibly during the household scenes shot earlier. “By the last day, he had improved a little physically. Before that, during the household scenes, he was struggling. And by struggling, I mean even getting up from a chair and sitting down was very difficult for him,” he said.

Tribute to professionalism

He further pointed out the toll the heightened security took on the actor. “Just dealing with the number of security personnel around you all the time is suffocating. It was a very difficult situation,” Vashishtha said, while adding that the cast and crew remained understanding of the long waits caused by the circumstances.

Despite the off-screen turmoil, Salman reportedly showed up on set every day, a commitment that left a lasting impression on his co-star. Sikandar, which also starred Rashmika Mandanna, marked one of the most testing shoots of the actor’s career, made memorable as much for his resilience as for the film itself.

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