Dulquer Salmaan interview: I am tired of playing the lover boy

The good number of Asianet Film Awards, Filmfare Awards South, Asiavision Awards, Vijay Awards and IIFA Utsavam he has won only speaks volumes about his sheer talent.

The Malayalam actor debuted in Telugu in 2018 with Mahanati, and became a household name for the Telugu audience, thanks to his brilliant performance as Gemini Ganesan.

Now, he is all set to sizzle on the silver screens with yet another Telugu movie: Sita Ramam. The big-budget epic love story has Dulquer playing Lieutenant Ram.

Dulquer Salmaan was in Hyderabad recently to promote his film Sita Ramam. (South First)

Directed by Hanu Raghavapudi of Andala Rakshasi-fame, the project is being produced by Aswini Dutt. It features Bollywood actor Mrunal Thakur as Ram’s love interest Sita and youth icon Rashmika Mandanna in a special role.

The film is being simultaneously released in Tamil and Malayalam on 5 August. Dulquer was in Hyderabad recently to promote Sita Ramam, and he had a freewheeling chat with the South First. Excerpts from the interview:

When directors approach you with a script, do you check their background?

No. I don’t. I neither Google their names or works nor watch their previous films to decide upon a project. Even in Hanu Raghavapudi’s case, I did not watch any of his previous works. However, while shooting Sita Ramam, my co-star Shathru showed me a scene from Nani–starrer Krishna Gadi Veera Prema Gaadha.

I don’t think that the past films of the directors would have anything to do with the story they currently work on. I completely believe in them and their storyline.

What kind of scripts do you usually look for?

I work in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. I do get a lot of scripts in these languages. I’ve decided to take a break from love stories and focus on other genres. I’m tired of playing the lover boy since my debut. I want to explore myself and push my boundaries. But yes, I’m glad that I accepted Sita Ramam. It’s different from other love stories.

Your father seems to be doing a lot of action movies these days…

Exactly (laughs). He’s being flooded with offers (sequels of action films), and here I am, doing back-to-back love stories. It’s high time I changed my pattern.

We’ve learnt that you don’t like using the term “pan-India”. Why is it so?

The concept of pan-India is not something that was invented recently. The films of Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and Shah Rukh Khan are popular across India for ages. Terming every project “a pan-India film” is not a good idea. Call it a “South film” or with its title. I believe that’s the best thing to do.

Sita Ramam is the second Telugu film of Dulquer Salmaan. (South First)

The Malayalam film industry has been doing great, of late. Thanks to the pandemic, it received some limelight. Do you see a change there?

Yes. Of course. The concepts that the directors come up with make all the difference in the Malayalam film industry. They make it so special. And the turnaround time for the films is very quick. I’m glad that people are loving Malayalam cinema.

Today’s young filmmakers believe that every film is their responsibility. Not just the director or the hero, every individual feels that teamwork is crucial in making a film. As far as my opinion is concerned, I believe that stories are “heroes” and they can bring about a change and create a trend.

Do you imitate your father?

I don’t imitate my father but I do get inspired by him. Indeed, my dad inspires me in every aspect of life. I am awestruck by everything he does. I learnt to work hard and keep going no matter what, only by watching him.