Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 30 (ANI): Excitement surrounding the Salman Khan starrer action thriller 'Sikandar', which dropped in cinemas early Sunday morning, was shortlived as within hours the film was struck with piracy issues.

Multiple illegal platforms, including Telegram groups, allegedly leaked the movie online, offering illegal downloads and streaming links.

Popular film trade analyst Komal Nahta who was among the first to learn about the piracy said he had initially discovered the leak, but refrained from posting about it on social media right away, since he wanted to be a 'hundred per cent sure.'

'Last night when I was in the trade, I discovered the film had already been leaked. But I didn't tweet about it right away because I wanted to be 100 per cent sure. Sometimes only a few scenes are leaked, and if you call it a full leak, it can cause unnecessary panic,' Nahta told ANI.

'This morning, I spoke to seven or eight people in the trade, and they confirmed that the film had been leaked. I was also told that Sajid Nadiadwala and the authorized team worked hard to remove the film from many piracy websites. But by then, the damage was already done. It spreads very fast,' the analyst said

Nahta also added how piracy can severely affect a film's Box Office performance, especially when it happens just around the time of its release.

'Kya hota hai na kabhi kabhi ek hafte baad, do hafte baad film pirated hoti hai aur piracy wali copy aapke paas aa jaati hai. Ye toh release se pehle aur release ke din toh definitely....' Nahta said.

'Free mein agar aapke phone mein Salman Khan ki film jo release ho rahi hai, usi din aapke mobile mein free mein aa gayi hai, toh kyun aap cinema hall jaayenge?' he added.

ANI reached out to producer Sajid Nadiadwala's team for a response. While they did not confirm the leak, the team shared that their piracy agencies are actively working to handle the issue.

'Sikandar' directed by AR Murugadoss and, which also stars Rashmika Mandanna, was released on March 30. (ANI)