Back in 2009, vexed with his business endeavour in Dubai, Malayalam megastar Mammootty’s son Dulquer Salmaan returned to India and joined a three-month course at the Barry John Acting Studio (BJAS) in Mumbai, finally deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps, as many had expected, though he had not shown interest earlier. In 2012, Dulquer made his movie debut with director Srinath Rajendran’s Second Show.
Interestingly, since his time at BJAS, Dulquer has explored various aspects of cinema, not limiting himself to just acting. He has also tried his hands at most mainstream formats of the visual art of cinema. In 2010, as a student at BJAS, he appeared in a short film called Kill Dill created as part of a course project. Besides feature films, he has also appeared in a streaming series (Guns & Gulaabs) and a music video (“Heeriye“). Beyond acting, Dulquer has also taken on roles as a producer, distributor, playback singer and narrator. His work in both Malayalam and other languages, including Hindi, has helped him establish a reputation beyond just being “Mammootty’s son,” endearing him to many.
Although Dulquer does not possess the extraordinary talent of some of his peers in Malayalam cinema, let alone his legendary father, he has ventured into a wide range of projects, quite a few vastly different from one another, and has excelled in at least a good number of them. As the actor turns 41 today, here are five movies, belonging to various genres where he delivered impressive performances.
Ustad Hotel
Although Second Show was a hit, it was director Anwar Rasheed’s family drama Ustad Hotel (2012), penned by Anjali Menon, that catapulted Dulquer to new heights. This success was both due to the compelling development of his character Faizy and Dulquer’s charming portrayal of it. In a way, Faizy became a stock character in Dulquer’s career, with many of his subsequent roles resembling this archetype — the spoiled rich young guy who runs away from home, learns intense life lessons and eventually returns as a responsible man. However, in Ustad Hotel, this felt fresh and Faizy seemed tailor-made for the actor. His on-screen chemistry with legendary thespian Thilakan, who played Faizy’s grandfather, and Nithya Menen, as his love interest, also contributed significantly to the film’s appeal.
Actor Dulquer Salmaan with his father, Malayalam megastar Mammootty. (Image: DQ/Instagram)
O Kadhal Kanmani
While making strides in Kerala with hits like ABCD: American-Born Confused Desi (2013), Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi (2013) and Bangalore Days (2014), Dulquer Salmaan also experienced occasional setbacks with movies like Pattam Pole (2013), Salalah Mobiles (2014) and Njaan (2014). It was around this time that he received his first proper Tamil movie role (though he had previously appeared in the bilingual film Vaayai Moodi Pesavum/Samsaaram Aarogyathinu Haanikaram in 2014) with ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam. Titled O Kadhal Kanmani (commonly referred to as OK Kanmani), the movie took Dulquer’s impeccable chemistry with Nithya Menen and brought it into Mani Ratnam’s world of romance, where both the ups and downs are intense. Although his character, Aditya, belonged to his cosy corner of elite urban youth, Dulquer’s performance was impressive and his dialogue delivery in Tamil was outstanding. This role also made him a heartthrob.
Kammatipaadam
Cinematographer-turned-director Rajeev Ravi’s political crime saga Kammatipaadam (2016) was one of the first movies where Dulquer successfully stepped out of his comfort zone, delivering a jaw-dropping performance, proving that he had potential in him that could be extracted but only by those who know how. As Krishnan, who grew up in a neighbourhood of Dalit families with whom he shared a deep connection, Dulquer delivered a riveting performance, holding his own in a film where Vinayakan and Manikandan R Achari brought their A-game and delivered chillingly splendid portrayals. Unfortunately, this was the last time Dulquer took on such a raw and unfiltered role.
Mahanati
Before many began regarding him as an Adonis, owing to his role and performance in Sita Ramam (2022), Dulquer had made his presence felt in Telugu cinema with his portrayal of yesteryear Tamil star Gemini Ganesan in director Nag Ashwin’s biographical drama Mahanati (2018), based on the life of actor Savitri. At a time when there were doubts about his range as an actor, with some dismissing him as suitable for only certain types of roles, Dulquer magnificently portrayed on screen a man who had been alive until two decades ago and that too a massive celebrity, whose style, mannerisms et al people knew well. Dulquer’s performance received widespread praise, with many considering him a perfect fit for the role.
Chup: Revenge of the Artist
Though director R Balki’s crime thriller Chup: Revenge of the Artist was not extraordinary and was at best interesting and watchable, Dulquer’s attempt to portray a serial killer — a failed filmmaker targeting corrupt movie critics — wasn’t all bad. In fact, it was impressive that an actor like him, who is not typically regarded as immensely talented, took on such a layered and emotionally rich role with significant depth and didn’t come off as unconvincing. He portrayed the character as well as he could and that performance was notably above average. Chup too is a film worth watching or revisiting to confirm the aforementioned point — he has potential that could be extracted but only by those who know how.
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