Sikandar full movie and story
Director: A.R. Murugadoss
Writer: A.R. Murugadoss
Stars: Salman KhanRashmika MandannaSuniel Shetty
After a string of successful and taut Bollywood thrillers like A Wednesday, Special 26, and Baby, director Neeraj Pandey has carved a niche for himself with his gripping stories of secret agents and men in uniform. His recent OTT successes, Special Ops and Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, further solidify his mastery of the thriller genre. However, his latest offering, Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, while still watchable, fails to reach the high bar set by his earlier works.
Set against the backdrop of 2009 Mumbai, the film begins with an intriguing heist, where precious red solitaires worth Rs 60 crores are stolen during an exhibition. Officer Jaswinder Singh (Jimmy Shergill) quickly narrows his list of suspects to three suspects—Mangesh Desai (Rajiv Mehta), a veteran employee at the jewellery store; Kamini Singh (Tamannaah Bhatia), his colleague; and Sikandar Sharma (Avinash Tiwary), a computer techie in a hurry to leave the scene after the alarm is triggered. While Jaswinder’s instincts point towards Sikandar, his growing obsession with solving the case sends him on a 15-year-long pursuit that spans multiple cities, including Abu Dhabi. At the heart of the story is the question of whether Sikandar or any one of the other suspects is truly guilty, or if Singh’s relentless pursuit is driven by his need to protect his reputation.
The film starts strong, with a compelling setup that draws the audience into the mystery of the missing diamonds. However, when the narrative jumps ahead 15 years, the pacing slows considerably. The back-and-forth between the past and present becomes sluggish, and as the film shifts focus from the heist itself to the prolonged cat-and-mouse chase between Singh and Sikandar, the intrigue gradually fades. Although a few plot twists attempt to keep the tension alive, many are predictable, and by the time the climactic face-off between Singh and Sikandar unfolds, it struggles to hold the suspense it initially promised.
The performances are undeniably strong, with Jimmy Shergill delivering a standout turn as Officer Singh. He brings depth to the character, portraying a man driven by both duty and personal demons, struggling to maintain his reputation while dealing with mounting frustrations. Avinash Tiwary also shines as Sikandar, a man caught in the crossfire of his own choices and a determined cop’s obsession. Tamannaah Bhatia impresses in a non-glamorous role, playing a single mother who becomes inadvertently entangled in the investigation. Despite Tiwary having more screen time, Bhatia’s portrayal arguably provides greater emotional depth. Rajiv Mehta rounds out the cast well as Mangesh Desai, another suspect whose role adds complexity to the mystery.
Visually, the film impresses. Cinematographer Arvind Singh does a great job of capturing the locales, from the vibrant streets of Mumbai to the sleek cityscape of Abu Dhabi and the historical richness of Agra. However, the 143-minute runtime feels unnecessarily stretched, with songs—though well-composed—detracting from the narrative’s momentum.
Despite flashes of brilliance, Sikandar Ka Muqaddar fails to fully capitalize on its potential. The tension wanes as the story progresses, and the twists arrive too late to redeem the sluggish pacing. While the performances and initial premise keep it afloat, the film ultimately lacks the razor-sharp intensity that defines Neeraj Pandey’s best works.
Sikandar Ka Muqaddar is worth a watch for its strong performances and intriguing start, but it’s not the gripping thriller fans of the genre might expect.
