Sunday release for Sikandar and the Eid dilemma? Trade experts debate if Salman Khan should stick to Eid or opt for a pre-festival release!

By Fenil Seta -

March 10, 2025 - 12:00 PM IST

All eyes are on Sikandar, the big-budget Salman Khan entertainer which will arrive in cinemas this Eid. The assets simply mention that the film will be released on the holy festival and the specific date hasn’t been mentioned when it’ll be out in cinemas. It has led to speculations that it might arrive in cinemas on Sunday, March 30, a day before Ramzan Eid, which falls on Monday, March 31. Bollywood Hungama spoke to trade experts to understand what they have to say if Sikandar skips the conventional Friday release and opts for a release on a Sunday.

Sunday release for Sikandar and the Eid dilemma? Trade experts debate if Salman Khan should stick to Eid or opt for a pre-festival release!

Trade analyst Atul Mohan explained why a release on March 30 would be logical, “Sunday will be dhamakedaar. Even Monday will be bigger.” He further said, “A big section of Salman Khan’s fan base might stay away from cinemas before Eid. But once the moon is sighted and they break their fast on Sunday, March 30, they will start going to cinemas in the evening. Fir Eid bhai ke saath toh manayenge hi. Even Tuesday will be a holiday of sorts as there’ll be Baasi Eid. Moreover, Gudi Padwa is a huge holiday in Maharashtra (which will also benefit the film).”

Trade veteran Taran Adarsh agreed, “The release should coincide with Eid as the industry is quick to jump to conclusions. If it comes on pre-Eid (and if collections are not up to the mark), then it’ll lead to (negativity) and even fans will start talking about it. Hence, it is better to come on Eid as Salman needs those numbers. This is an important film for him as he has gone out of his comfort zone of collaborating with Farhad Samji, Prabhudheva etc. Instead, he’s working with one of the finest directors from South, A R Murugadoss.”

He continued, “Also, Salman is synonymous with Eid. It would also prove beneficial for the film in terms of numbers. Eventually, it would of course boil down to the content. Hence, he should come on Eid even if it’s a Sunday.”

Taran Adarsh also gave a clarification, “There has been no official communication (on Sikandar’s actual release date). I’d reserve my comments on what date it's coming. There’s no point in doing blind items and commenting on something which is not decided officially yet.”

Meanwhile, distributor and exhibitor Raj Bansal had a different point of view, “Given a choice, I’d like Sikandar to release on a Friday. Releasing such a huge film on a Sunday is a waste of a weekend. Salman’s films are not just seen by Muslims. People from all communities as well as masses and classes, all want to see Salman Khan films. Then why wait until Eid? They can release it 2 days before on a Friday and benefit from the other fans of Salman Khan.”

When asked if the opening numbers will be lesser on Friday as compared to Sunday, he added, “That difference would surely be there. But even if you release on a Friday, you’ll still get the Eid benefit on Monday apart from additional collections on Friday and Saturday.”

Film exhibitor and distributor Akshaye Rathi remarked, “If you look at Salman Khan’s releases on Eid, there have been all sorts of cases. There was Wanted (2009) which came in the last week of Ramzan. It started reasonably well and became an absolute banger from Eid onwards. Ek Tha Tiger (2012) was released on August 15, five days before Eid on August 20 and still opened with a bang. Hence, releasing a film on a Friday, Sunday or any other day doesn’t matter as long as the merits of the film are super-solid. And if they are not, then you can come on the day of Eid or whichever day and it’ll still not do well. Ultimately, it boils down to the entertainment and engagement value and nothing more.”

Also Read: “No interesting film for a while… Sikandar could be the one!” – Trade experts expect a huge opening and the box office on fire!