What Mammootty told son Dulquer Salmaan, he says was terrified of joing films: ‘At your age, I had two National Awards, was best at what I do’

Dulquer Salmaan recently revealed that he was initially sceptical about stepping into the world of cinema, particularly since he was scared that he might fall short of expectations.

By: Entertainment Desk

Kochi | November 17, 2025 06:02 PM IST

4 min read

Dulquer Salmaan recently revealed that he was initially sceptical about stepping into the world of cinema, particularly since he was scared that he might fall short of expectations.

Dulquer Salmaan with his father, Malayalam megastar Mammootty. (Credit: Facebook/@DQSalmaan)

Dulquer Salmaan is continuing his success streak in markets outside his home ground of Malayalam cinema, and the performance of his latest outing, director Selvamani Selvaraj’s period drama thriller Kaantha, stands as a testament to his box office pull. The son of Malayalam megastar Mammootty, Dulquer has, in the past few years, carved a space for himself in other-language industries, with many of his non-Malayalam movies turning out to be solid successes, the most recent example being Lucky Baskhar (2024).

In a candid conversation during the promotions of Kaantha, he revealed that he was initially sceptical about stepping into Tinseltown, particularly since he was scared that he might fall short of expectations. Sharing that he never thought cinema was even an option for him, Dulquer Salmaan pointed out that when he was in school, there were no second-generation actors in Malayalam who had made it big.

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“There were people who tried it, but nobody really found their way. So I kept thinking it’s not something that I can do, or it’s not an option. Hence, I continued to try everything else. At some point, I started meeting friends who were complete outsiders but harboured film dreams. That’s when I realised I was scared and was running away from this. I felt like I wouldn’t live up to my father’s legacy. But ‘Darr ke aage jeet hai‘ (Beyond fear lies victory) actually works,” he shared during a conversation with Honest Townhall. He also mentioned that he surprised both his immediate and extended family upon finally sharing his cinematic aspirations.

Revealing that his father never actually gave him advice in a technical sense, Dulquer quipped that Mammootty instead has a habit of slyly dropping truth bombs around him and taking playful jabs to inspire him to dream bigger. “He’ll be like, ‘You know, at your age, 42, I had two National Awards.’ How do you compete with him? When we were in school, he would go to some award function and he’d say, ‘Look, I’m the best at what I do, in my work. Are you the best in your class?’ Hearing this, my sister and I would just stand there. These are the things he would do.”

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During the chat, Dulquer also revealed that Shobana was his first celebrity crush. Opening up about his bond with actor-producer Rana Daggubati, whom he has known since childhood, he said, “We didn’t study together; we met through some common friends. I first met him when I was in the eighth or ninth grade. We were in Kodaikanal for a summer break, and we happened to go to a friend’s house. Rana was there, and so was Venky sir (Daggubati Venkatesh). I distinctly remember Venky sir watching American football and eating popcorn. I was like, ‘This is such a foreign idea.’ It was so cool. Rana was really tall even then, although he’s younger than me.”

Mentioning that although they don’t speak every day, Dulquer shared that when they finally do, it feels as if no time has passed, and they’re always able to pick up right where they left off. “Over the years, we have only gotten closer. I think we are also very similar in our dreams for cinema and the kind of stories we want to tell,” he added.

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