Dulquer Salmaan “I am not in awe of my father”

Dulquer Salmaan, who also happens to be the son of Malayalam star Mamooty, is currently enacting the role of the late actor Gemini Ganesan in an upcoming Telugu – Tamil bilingual biopic namely Mahanati, which is based on the legendary South Indian actress Savitri. Incidentally Dulquer Salmaan is also all set to make his Bollywood debut in Kaarwaan with Irrfan Khan. Shaheen Raaj spoke to the ever smiling and charming actor.

After making your mark in Malayalam films, you are also acting in a Tamil – Telugu bilingual namely Mahanati and now all set to make your Bollywood debut with Kaarwaan!
I have always wanted to make my Bollywood debut, but have been waiting anxiously for the right script which I have ultimately come across. So now I will finally be seen in Akarsh Khurana’s directorial debut Kaarwaan which will also star Irrfan Khan. I think Abhishek Bachchan was initially chosen for the role but had to opt out as his dates clashed with J P Dutta’s film Paltan. So Kaarwaan is a light – hearted comedy, featuring me & Irrfan Khan as friends on a road trip. I am enacting the role of a Bangaluru based youngster, that’s all I can reveal as of now. Mithila Palkar is also a part of the cast. Akarsh Khurana has also co – written the script with Hussain Dalal and Ronnie Screwvala is producing it under his own banner. The movie will start rolling by month end in Kerala.

Please enlighten us about your Tamil – Telugu bilingual Mahanati!
It has been my ardent desire for a long time to be a part of a period drama. Amazing period is being captured in films & even in small screen serials in the West, but fortunately or unfortunately, in the Malayalam film industry, we don’t have huge budgets to make such period films. So Mahanati is being made on a massive scale and I’m lucky to be a part of this project. It is being directed by Nag Ashwin and also stars Keerthy Suresh as Savitri, apart from Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Prakash Raj, Mohan Babu & Vijay Devarakonda. Both the director & the producer are younger than me. It’s a young team with so much of energy. I have always been against the idea of bilinguals but it made a lot of sense to make this film in two languages. I am enacting the role of the late Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan but I am not going to look like him.

Why?
I can’t, honestly, and I don’t want to wear prosthetics. My approach is simple. I would like to be myself in the phase of 1950’s if I was a big movie star. I don’t think I should attempt to play Gemini Ganesan. You don’t really have any off – screen footage of him. You don’t know what kind of person he was off – screen. We only know his persona on screen & I can’t use that to play him off – screen.

You share a very good rapport with Rana Daggubati. It is rumored that this is just a ploy to get a foothold in Telugu Cinema.
I share a very good bonding with Rana and there is no selfish motive behind this. My friendship with Rana is for keeps no matter what the rumor mills churn out. I share a good camaraderie with all my male co – actors be they from Malayalam, Telugu or Tamil film industry. I also share a healthy friendship with all my female co-actrors too, both on a personal as well as professional level.

You were part of Parava released recently.
Mark my words Parava will be a real game changer.Comedian actor Soubin Shahir made his debut as a director with Parava. Although I have an extended cameo of only 25 minutes I think it is a terrific film . It’s a huge blessing that I got to be a part of this film and I thank my Allah – The Almighty daily for every chance I’ve been given.

How was it working in Solo which was also released recently?
Solo has been finally released. I still have great expectations from Solo, as for me working in Solo was like working simultaneously in 8 films. Solo has been packaged with four stories and I had four different looks. Since Solo is a bilingual film in Tamil & Malayalam, it was like acting in eight films at the same time. In O Kadhal Kanmani & Vaayai Moodi Pesavum, I had a bubbly energetic image but it will change now that Solo has been released. The film had four heroines including Dhanshikaa, Sruthi Hariharan, Neha and Aarthi. Though we had four heroines in the film, there were no ego issues. Three cinematographers & eleven music composers have worked in Solo, which had 15 songs.

How was the experience of sharing screen space with your father?
It was very normal. Frankly speaking I am not in awe of my father nor was I nervous any time while facing the camera with him. I do respect and trust my father but at the same time we both share a very friendly and a very cordial relationship with him. At the same time we both don’t have any policy to not act together in future. It’s only that we are looking for the right script.

You have often been labeled as an art film hero. Why are you hesitant to don the mantle of a commercial hero?
Frankly speaking, I am more scared to attempt an out and out commercial film. As I feel it can either click all the way or go down all the way. So audiences will either like it or hate it. Besides I have always entertained the audiences with memorable content. So doing a film like Solo gives me more courage because irrespective of its box office fate, people at least appreciate the intent, its effort or just the desire to make good cinema.

How would you describe your journey in films right from your debut film Second Show to your latest film Solo?
I would not like to describe my journey with mind blowing adjectives and it’s suffice to say that right from day one it has been effortless and smooth sailing. No doubt I have gained a lot of enriching experience too. I also got a chance to work with the best of directors, best of producers, best of production houses and best of co – stars. I am happy that I have ended up making a lot of good friends and don’t have enemies.

Name your 5 favorite films!
I have loved albeit enjoyed doing all the films and hence naming just 5 films will be an injustice to all my other films.

What next, after Solo?
Mahanati, Oru Bhayangara Kamukan and Kaarwan.