Following the disappointing outcome of Sikandar, Salman Khan had assured fans that he'd return stronger—with a solid script and a reputable director. Talks of a sequel to Bajrangi Bhaijaan with Kabir Khan had further fuelled excitement among his followers.

However, in a surprising turn of events, the Dabangg star is now reportedly giving priority to Apoorva Lakhia’s film based on the Galwan conflict, putting Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2 on the back burner for the time being.

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According to a report by PeepingMoon, “Apoorva Lakhia's film on the 2020 Indo-China Galwan Valley conflict will possibly be Salman's next. Although Salman hasn't officially signed it yet, he has given his go-ahead to the filmmaker. Apoorva, who directed ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’, ‘Mission Istanbul’, ‘Zanjeer’ (Ram Charan), and ‘Haseena’, has initiated preliminary preparations with the intention to take it to the floors in August-September.”

The report further stated, “Salman is reportedly prioritizing Apoorva's film because his potential collaboration with Kabir Khan failed to materialise. According to sources, Salman wanted Kabir to direct ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2’, which V. Vijayendra Prasad narrated to him during Eid. Salman loved what he heard and called Kabir to hear it. The director also appreciated the story but is believed to have expressed reservations about doing it. Kabir reportedly felt that the expectations surrounding a sequel to a beloved classic like ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ would be too overwhelming.”

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Kabir Khan recently pitched Babbar Sher, a long-gestating action project, to Salman Khan in hopes of steering him toward a standalone film. While Salman appreciated the concept, he remained firm on prioritising Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2 as his next venture. However, with Kabir appearing unsure about diving into the sequel just yet, Salman has shifted his focus to Apoorva Lakhia’s upcoming war drama based on the Galwan conflict. Talks between Salman and Kabir are still ongoing, and although Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2 remains on the table, it's uncertain whether the two will reunite for the sequel or take a different creative path with a new film.

Fans were hoping that Salman would collaborate with Kabir Khan, but this news has disappointed fans as Apoorva Lakhia has ‘not-so-good’ track record.

One user commented, “Mujhe laga ab bhai serious ho gye hai comeback hoga but bhai to bhai hai sala wo flop director la★d movie banayega,or dusra aacha director ek alag type ki sequel film dena cha rha to Krna nahi hai benchod kuch nahi hoga bhai ka.”

Mujhe laga ab bhai serious ho gye hai comeback hoga but bhai to bhai hai sala wo flop director la★d movie banayega,or dusra aacha director ek alag type ki sequel film dena cha rha to Krna nahi hai benchod kuch nahi hoga bhai ka😔😒

— Mrsheikh29 (@itzfaisalsheikh) May 6, 2025

Another user commented, “He is literally setting records by collaborating with the worst directors back to back and pushing away promising filmmakers.”

He is literally setting records by collaborating with the worst directors back to back and pushing away promising filmmakers

— Aditya Tewary (@AdityaTewa16006) May 6, 2025

One user reacted, “Kabir never makes a sequel. The least Salman can do is to trust Kabir who has given him his two career best film and am sure Salman would have interfered with Tubelight going by the way film turned out eventually.”

Kabir never makes a sequel. The least Salman can do is to trust Kabir who has given him his two career best film and am sure Salman would have interfered with Tubelight going by the way film turned out eventually

— Sujata Singh (@SujataHS) May 6, 2025

Salman desperately needs a good movie to bounce back and I don't blame him to want to go for BB2, the first part has a seperate fanbase

— Nameless (@guywithnoglass) May 6, 2025

Touted to be the comeback movie of Salman Khan, Sikandar managed to collect merely Rs 103 crore at the Indian box office.

The film turned out to be a major disaster, as the reported budget for this movie was Rs 200 crore.