Salman Khan is stuck in the past

There have been many instances across generations where once-popular leading men, unwilling to grow old gracefully, have clung to past glories so desperately that they have ended up dismantling their own legacies.

These ageing Bollywood idols continued romancing inappropriately young heroines, playing roles far removed from their real age, and starring in outdated movies where their presence mattered more than the storyline.

Fifty-nine-year-old Salman Khan is now firmly in that phase – one that increasingly resembles a late-life crisis. His latest film Sikandar only reinforced that, joining the growing list of self-indulgent stinkers he has headlined in recent years.

Instead of resurrecting his fortunes, the flop film was savaged by critics, rejected by audiences, and ruthlessly trolled across social media. It deepened the ageing star’s current crisis.

But the writing was on the wall. Many, including myself, had predicted Sikandar would crash and burn – even with the advantage of a lucrative Eid release date.

The first red flag was the film’s writer-director. A.R. Murugadoss is a massively overrated filmmaker who has only had one hit in the last decade – Sarkar in 2018. That deeply flawed Tamil movie succeeded because of superstar Vijay, not because it was any good. Murugadoss was also reportedly sued by a writer for allegedly plagiarising the Sarkar script.

Still Playing the Hero: Salman Khan in Sikandar, a film that proves he’s out of touch with both time and taste

When the man at the helm has such a dismal recent track record, the project was on a downward slope from the start. The outdated, lacklustre story proved it was a major misstep to hand Sikandar over to him.

The producer, Sajid Nadiadwala, has had a similarly spotty record in the past decade – churning out more duds than hits. His string of big-budget entertainers with mindless plots has earned him a reputation for being unable to spot a decent story, even if it slapped him in the face.

The next dose of stupidity was 59-year-old Salman Khan romancing 28-year-old Rashmika Mandanna, who is young enough to be his daughter. Unsurprisingly, the pairing was trolled relentlessly ahead of release, with Khan looking more like a dirty old man than a romantic lead. (For perspective, Hum Aapke Hain Koun – one of his biggest hits – was released in 1994, before Mandanna was even born.)

The music failed to land, receiving a muted response, and the promotional posters raised eyebrows for appearing plagiarised from other films – drawing even more negative attention.

But the film’s biggest problem was Salman Khan himself. He brought the same tired look and wooden performance seen in his recent flops. Rather than delivering a compelling story driven by solid acting, Khan appeared to coast through the film, seemingly convinced that throwing a few punches at bad guys would be enough to pull in the crowds.

That lazy performance not only took the audience for granted but also exposed how stuck in the past he truly is. Like many ageing stars, he has too much power – which likely means he pushed his own rubbish creative ideas into the project.

Whatever the case, it is time for Khan to stop and take stock. He needs to embrace his senior years and start playing characters that suit his age – in well-written films. He might consider taking inspiration from Amitabh Bachchan, who reinvented himself in his late fifties and has since delivered a string of award-winning performances across genres.

If Salman Khan continues down this current path, he risks becoming a tragic figure – a far cry from the hero so many once admired.