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Perhaps they expected him to fail. After all, Malayalam film lovers are not known to patronise star-kids overtly. Dulquer Salmaan, the son of acting legend and superstar of Malayalam cinema, Mammootty, therefore went on stealth mode.
He did not seek a big budget extravaganza for his launch pad. Opting for the smaller, new generation (if that tag holds) movie called Second Show, directed by debutant Srinath Rajendran, he made a sure-footed entry as Hari, an ex-convict and goon. That was in 2012.
His suaveness was not lost on the role that had shades of black. Five months later, when he arrived as the much-loveable Faizy, rubbing shoulders with such heavyweights as Thilakan and Siddique, in Ustad Hotel, directed by Anwar Rasheed, it was almost clear that a star was being made.
Theevram, the revenge flick that followed, earned mixed reviews but ABCD (for which he sang a popular upbeat song too), Neelakasham Pacha Kadal Chuvanna Bhoomi, Bangalore Days and Vikramadityan in subsequent years catapulted him to the frontline as a smashing young hero.
Youth audiences related to him, and the streak of effortless rebellion Dulquer brought to his roles had that anthem effect on young men trying to identify themselves and their purpose in life.
Taking on the central character of KTN Kottoor for director Ranjith in Njan was followed by a defining point in Dulquer's career - a dream role in master-director Mani Ratnam's Tamil film OK Kanmani that went on to fetch him fans across south India.
As the swashbuckling maverick Charlie (in Charlie) and the multi-layered Krishnan in Kammattipaadam, it was evident that Dulquer knew how to balance his career - with the right selection of films that were not just appealing to the mainstream but also impressive works of art.
Today, with a phenomenal fan following on social media and the credentials of securing the highest initials for any flick (his YouTube trailers go viral in seconds), Dulquer's tremendous screen presence is only matched by his zealous off-screen fan frenzy.
Home coming
Dubai witnessed that when he arrived in the city (where he has lived earlier) for the Middle East premiere of Jomonte Suvisheshangal, his new film directed by Sathyan Anthikadu and written by Dubai-based Dr. Iqbal Kuttippuram last Wednesday evening.
The event organised by Phars Film saw scores of his fans making a beeline for Hyatt Galleria, the very venue where his father Mammootty has witnessed some rousing receptions for his films.
Dulquer is rather reticent to take the lead in engaging with the media but once he opens up, he comes across as a modest, young man, grounded about his stardom, and quite sure about his strengths and weaknesses as an actor.
He readily agrees that it has been intimidating to live up to the expectations of being Mammootty's son but says he has now overcome the inhibitions.
Let us call it Dulquer's Charlie moment... where the young man has decided just to be.. himself.
Dulquer's love for bikesDulquer says his father Mammootty was adamant he would not buy him a bike. A car, was fine, but a bike was out of question. Which is why he loved the opportunities to explore the bike trips with his film, and says he had chosen Neelakasham Chuvanna Kadal Pacha Bhoomi specifically for that. Subsequently he bought a luxury bike (making headlines) and then went on a ride with his friends (again making headlines). On dancing and breaking free Dulquer Salmaan had a series of conversations in short videos where he talks about Jomon, his character in Jomonte Suvisheshangal. He also speaks about his tryst with dancing, remembering how clumsy he used to be with lyrics as a child, and how his dancing style was teased by his friends as being the 'boxing dance.' He describes himself as being reticent about dancing, not very comfortable, saying that the discomfort shows on screen. So now, he just lets himself go, and enjoys what he does - be it acting or dancing - just as he seems to have overcome his inhibitions and fear of being compared to his dad, whom he describes as a 'mega-actor. |
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