Following director AR Murugadoss’s claims that Salman Khan’s alleged lack of punctuality impacted the box-office performance of Sikandar, co-stars from the film have rallied to defend the superstar’s reputation, highlighting his work ethic and compassion both on and off set.
Jatin Sarna, who played a taxi driver in Sikandar, dismissed the director’s allegations of tardiness in a recent interview. Sarna stated that Salman Khan, whom he affectionately called “Seth,” routinely arrived on set before his own call time. He further praised Salman Khan’s dedication, noting that the actor continued to film demanding action scenes and maintain his fitness regimen despite suffering from broken ribs and a shoulder injury. Jatin Sarna said, “If I’m not wrong, Salman sir said in an interview that he has a particular style of working. So, the director might have said, ‘Yes, I don’t have a problem.’ Cut to: as far as I know, Seth would arrive before my call time,” per NDTV. He added, “He would be exercising and cycling even though his ribs were broken and he had a shoulder issue. The taxi in the scene was very small, so it was very tough for a man to go in and out. He was doing all of that. He was there singing, dancing, and doing everything.”
Ayaan Lall, who starred alongside Sarna, joined Sarna in dismissing the claims that Murugadoss made during his interview with Siddharth Kannan. Lall explained that he needed to arrive at 3:00 PM because Salman would arrive at 5:30 PM, which he considered acceptable for his scheduled arrival. Lall explained that Khan would inform his crew members of his expected arrival times because this practice helped them work more effectively while reducing their wait time.
Lall described Salman Khan as a dedicated professional because he treated crew members with respect and supported charitable causes, including major donations to help flood victims in Punjab. The stories shared by Sikandar’s cast members portray Salman Khan as a hardworking artist who treats his colleagues with kindness, contradicting recent negative stories about him.
