He is the son of Malayalam superstar Mammootty. Not surprisingly, Dulquer Salmaan took after his father as he stormed the film industry down south and won hearts last year for his portrayal of Gemini Ganesan in Mahanati. Not satisfied with all the adulation, he moved on to establish a foothold in the world of Hindi cinema with Karwaan. Dulquer is back with The Zoya Factor alongside Sonam K Ahuja, set to hit theatres on September 20.
He grew up watching his father’s stagecraft but was not inclined to become an actor. “As star kids, pressure and tension are always there. I didn’t want to disappoint people who loved my father. I wanted to do justice to his image. So, when I entered the industry, I chose films keeping the content in mind.”
Unlike Bollywood, he did not really have to face the ‘nepotism battle’ when he started.
“In Malayalam cinema, there are hardly any second-generation actors. Even now we are a minority. My parents moved us to Chennai and so I grew up away from the starry glare. Until Thalapathi released, my friends knew he was an actor but they didn’t understand he was a star. My mother would also advise me against the industry as it was not a ‘dependable career’.”
But by the time Dulquer grew up, the industry had changed and films became content-driven. “I try to do films with good content. At the same time, I can’t do totally commercial films. Maybe that is the reason I’ll never work with my father. I’ve made my own identity and he has his own. If we work together, we will lose it.”
He confesses that at times it becomes difficult for him as an actor as he is working in so many industries. “I’m trying to do films that can be completed in 60-70 days. I’m also trying to widen my horizon and so from the South I’ve come here.”
Sonam had earlier showed interest in working with this southern heartthrob and had even approached him for Veere Di Wedding. “At that time, unfortunately, I was committed to other films. I’m sure people will notice me in The Zoya Factor. In fact, I knew director Abhishek Sharma before saying yes to the film. His sense of comedy is very strong.”
Transitioning from the southern film industry to the Hindi film industry brings with it its own challenges and perks. What does he like about Bollywood? “I like the scale. People come from everywhere to work in the industry and in every department, you see people from all these wonderful places. And the best thing is that within this diversity of cultures, there are so many women working here—from the sound department to the camera department. They run the show everywhere, not just the traditional styling department. And this is a very positive sign and should be replicated everywhere,” he says.
This content-driven actor, however, draws the line when it comes to remakes, even it is of his own film. “I want to do original content. I can’t repeat roles because there is nothing new for me. I don’t even like to reshoot my scenes once I’m done with it. I don’t know how I would do the entire film all over again. A lot of my films have been remade in Telugu or Tamil. Charlie was even remade in Marathi. I find all this flattering, but personally I would not like to work in a remake.”
There have been rumours going on for long about his father entering politics. Will he follow suit in case that happens? “Never. Acting is what I love. I’m not made for politics,” he laughs.