Watching Dulquer Salmaan act a couple of years ago, the late actor Thilakan had remarked: “He looks a natural actor to me. He has a bright future.” It was high praise indeed, coming as it did from the thespian. “Initially, I felt intimidated by Thilakan, but I learnt a lot about acting from him while working with him in Ustad Hotel , which was only my second film,” says Dulquer, who is now working in Njan , the latest Ranjith film.
These are exciting days for Dulquer, as his first Tamil film, Vaayai Moodi Pesavum, is releasing in April. “The film has come out very well and I am glad that I am debuting in Tamil with this film. I decided to do it because I was intrigued by the concept of a small town in the grip of a mysterious epidemic and also because I was impressed with the director Balaji Mohan’s first film, Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi .”
Dulquer did not have any language problems, having lived in Chennai most of his life.
“The film will be simultaneously released in Malayalam, titled Samsaram Arogyathinu Haanikaram . It is not a dubbed version, but a shot-by-shot remake,” says the actor.
Dulquer is paired with Nazriya Nazim again, his heroine in his previous Malayalam film Salala Mobiles, which did not make the cash registers ring. He says he is not overly disappointed that the film did not do that well. “Yes, it did not shape up the way I hoped it would. Sometimes it happens. But I am still hopeful of its director Sharath A. Haridasan; he is a promising filmmaker,” says Dulquer before moving on to his new film.
Obviously delighted about working with Ranjith, he says: “Ranjith is one of our finest storytellers and I have grown up watching his films; Kayyoppu and Pranchiyettan & the Saint are among my favourite films,” he says. Incidentally, his father, Mammootty, was the hero in both those films.
“I think people have started realising that there is more to me than being Mammootty’s son. Over the last couple of years, it has been a great experience doing films such as Ustad Hotel, Theevram, Pattam Pole, Anchu Sundarikal, Second Show, ABCD and Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi .”
Coming up next is Anjali Menon’s Bangalore Days in May. “And I will soon start shooting for Lal Jose’s Vikramadithyan, ” he says.
