AR Murugadoss on why he chose superstar Salman Khan for 'Sikandar'

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 24 (ANI): A.R. Murugadoss expressed his love and admiration for Salman Khan by sharing an old incident which took place in Chennai, where he saw the actor for the first time.
Director Murugadoss, who is known for films Ghajini and Holiday, collaborated with Salman Khan for the first time for the upcoming film titled Sikandar. It is slated to hit theatres on March 30, 2025.
At the trailer launch event, the 'Ghajini' director shared his fan moment for superstar Salman Khan which includes an unexpected meet with the actor in Chennai
He said, "I was struggling as an AD (Assistant Director) long back. So I wanted to watch a shoot, so I went to Prasad Studios in Chennai. I requested the security guard to let me in and watch me shoot. He allowed me on two conditions. You have to be in corner and you cannot talk to anyone. He gave me 20 minutes. After that, I had to leave."
He further explained how he became a fan of Salman after one unexpected encounter with the actor and decided to cast him in a film.
"So I entered. I don't know what the shoot was. Full dark smoke, light comes, Sridevi is there. I was surprised. Then suddenly, I see a hero's backside. He is combing his hair. So I tried to see who the hero was. He was none other than Salman Sir. So, I tried to go one step forward, and I saw the guard looking at me. He said no. So I went outside and thought that one day I will direct his film. So after so many years, I have directed the film with him."
At the trailer launch, Salman reflected on his experience working on the film, highlighting how Murugadoss constantly pushed him, especially in action sequences, to bring out his best.
Meanwhile, filmmaker AR Murugadoss recently expressed a desire to collaborate with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in future.
In an interview with ANI, Murugadoss, who has already worked with Aamir Khan in 'Ghajini' and Salman Khan in the forthcoming film 'Sikandar', spoke about his wish to tick off working with the third Khan from his bucket list.
"After this film (Sikandar), I have to finish one Tamil film. Then I will think about it (collaborating with SRK). Definitely, it is (on my bucket list); I want to work with him," Murugadoss said.
Besides Aamir and Salman, Murugadoss has worked with huge stars such as Rajinikanth ('Darbar'), Vijay ('Kaththi'), Mahesh Babu ('Spyder'), Chiranjeevi ('Stalin'), Suriya (Ghajini) and Ajith ('Dheena') as well.
His next directorial, Sikandar, is an action-packed film which stars Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles. (ANI)