Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s recent release Sikandar failed to impress the audience and underperformed at the box office. Following this, director AR Murugadoss claimed that Salman would arrive on set only at 5.30 pm while the crew waited from morning. However, his co-star Ayaan Lall has now given a different perspective.
In an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times, Ayaan, who essayed the role of Anjini Dhawan’s boyfriend in the film, denied reports of Salman keeping people waiting for hours. Instead, he revealed that the actor always travels with a food truck, ensuring the crew eats the same food as he does.
Ayaan recalled that he would often reach the set by 3 pm but wasn’t called to shoot until 5 pm, and Salman was always present by then. He explained that much of the delay was due to the time required for setting up the set, which he completely understood. He firmly dismissed claims that Salman kept everyone waiting for hours.
Ayaan Lall says Salman Khan never came late on set
Ayaan explained, “He never used to come 8 hours late. I have worked on set for a good 12–13 days, and this never happened. And if 5-10 mins or 1–2 hours here and there, you need to understand. For example, the Punjab floods, it’s very sad what happened, Diljit sir also posted, but Salman sir has donated to help victims of the Punjab floods. So you have to understand that his only job is not to entertain the public or be a superstar. He is the man of society and the superstar of country, the bhai. He has a lot of things to do other than just entertain people. So if he reaches 5–10 mins late or 1–2 hours late, it’s nothing. You have to understand his only job is not just to make films, he’s here for bigger things.”
Same food for Salman and the crew
Sharing his on-set experience, Ayaan called Salman “an angel sent by God.” He added, “300 logon ka set hai (It’s a set of 300 people), and there’s a Being Stronger food truck which travels with Salman sir wherever he goes. Whether it’s 3 pm, 5 pm or 2 am in the morning, you are allowed to go and ask for food anytime and any day. If you are a part of the crew, your food is the same as Salman Khan’s food. So if I used to feel hungry at 3 am in the morning, and AD looked at me and said, ‘Are you crazy?’ You can go and ask for food at Salman’s food truck. So if the production’s food has not reached yet, then you can get it from there. I went there and they told me they have mutton biryani, chicken item and an item for vegetarian people. This is the truth.”
What AR Murugadoss said
In an interview with Valaipechu Voice, AR Murugadoss described the challenges of working with a major star like Salman. He claimed that although production would begin early in the morning, Salman usually arrived only at 8 pm, with shooting continuing until 2 am. He also mentioned that most scenes were filmed on green screen, requiring extensive VFX to make them look like daytime shots.
About Sikandar and Salman’s next project
Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the action drama Sikandar starred Salman Khan alongside Rashmika Mandanna, Kajal Aggarwal, Sharman Joshi, Sathyaraj, Jatin Sarna, Sanjay Kapoor, Prateik Babbar and Kishore. Despite its star cast, the film collected only ₹184.6 crore against a reported ₹200 crore budget.
Salman is currently shooting Battle of Galwan, directed by Apoorva Lakhia and also starring Chitrangda Singh. The film is based on the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict between India and China. Its release date is yet to be announced.
