Dulquer Salmaan on Lucky Baskhar, hating the word ‘pan-India’: ‘I can’t live in my former glory’

“Ideally, I want to do 3-4 films a year, and alternate between each language. I would love to sign a film on Monday, and finish the shoot on Friday. But it is really not in my hands, and I also had some health issues. “Turning 40 is a real thing, I guess,” says a smiling Dulquer, who is currently doing the promotional rounds for his upcoming film Lucky Baskhar, directed by Venky Atluri. 

ALSO READ: Lucky Baskhar trailer: In pursuit of money, Dulquer Salmaan realises there’s nothing wrong with taking risks for family

‘Everyone is excited about making money’

Lucky Baskhar is set in the late 80s, and it is about a common man finding a way to become rich by both hook and crook. “What I really liked about the film is that it was a relatable story of a common man. We have either heard of someone like him, or been in his shoes. What he does to overcome economic pressures of the family, and the repercussions of his choices is what Lucky Baskhar is all about,” says Dulquer, who added that everyone loves to see protagonists with grey shades because it allows them to live vicariously. 

“Everybody is excited about making money, right? Of course, in real life, we know the distinction between right and wrong. Even in Lucky Baskhar, we aren’t glorifying or encouraging breaking the rules, but there is no doubt that there is a clear fascination for people who skirt around the rules,” points out Dulquer. 

‘I can’t still keep coming of age or finding myself in my films’

Although Dulquer Salmaan has done some varied roles in his 12-year-old career, there have been times when consecutive roles have been similar to each other. “There was a trend of doing urban NRI characters for a while. Then I did a bunch of love stories. And now, a long list of period dramas. But yeah, I like doing grey shaded characters. I’m done with the coming-of-age genre and finding myself in every other film. I’ve crossed that age. Also, as actors, we like grey characters because we can behave outside our own personality,” says the OK Kanmani actor, who believes that this fascination is not just among actors, but the audience too.

“Why are true crime documentaries popular? We want to know how someone else can break rules, hurt somebody, and commit crimes. We might not do it, but we need to know the whys and hows.” 

‘My wife misses me a lot…’ 

King of Kotha, Kurup, Guns and Gulaabs, Sita Ramam, Lucky Baskhar, and the upcoming Tamil film, Kaantha, have one thing in common apart from starring Dulquer Salmaan. They are all period dramas with the films being set in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. In fact, his other films since 2021, include Kalki 2898 AD, which was set in the future, Salute, which starred him in the role of an aged cop, and Hey Sinamika, which is probably the only film set in the contemporary era.

“As an actor, I am open to acting in every genre. Honestly, all this dressing up and living in the look isn’t easy. So, in some ways, I don’t want to take up such a film in the near future,” reveals Dulquer, who candidly admits that one can’t write anything in concrete terms in the field of cinema. “What if the script is genuinely beautiful and authentic? Why should I say no? That is wrong towards my art, and the actor in me,” says the Salute actor who speaks fondly about making films set in the vintage era because it allows more drama in storytelling. “Everything is a bit too instant now, right?”

Also Dulquer admits that there is a sort of trepidation that filmmakers might conjure up a period film in their head, and think that is his primary yardstick to greenlight a project. “There are a few rules in my head, including my unwillingness to star in remakes. I want to fight for good roles,” says Dulquer, who admits that continuously appearing in period films does have its fair share of problems. “Whenever I facetime with my wife, I am in one look or another. She’d be like ‘I miss my husband.’”

Here’s the Lucky Baskhar Trailer:

‘I can’t live in my former glory…’

At some point, you might think success and failure is par for the course for any actor. However, it is refreshing to note that an actor is candid about actually reveling in the unexpected and unprecedented success of their film. “Undoubtedly, Sita Ramam is a very special film. But honestly, I can’t live in my former glory. It was tough to move on from that kind of love, but it is important to move ahead as an actor, find new films. Just like Sita Ramam, I believe my other films like Lucky Baskhar and Kaantha should also be loved and celebrated. That love is addictive. You don’t get it if you plan for it, you have to allow it to happen,” says Dulquer, who calls the unbridled love he receives outside the Malayalam industry as a blessing. 

“When I started off in Malayalam cinema, I only thought that I would also have a lineup in Tamil. After Ustaad Hotel, I received a few offers from Hindi. But I never ever imagined a career in Telugu,” says the Mahanati actor. “When Dil Raju sir first offered me something, I was scared. I didn’t want them to take that risk. The same happened with Mahanati too. But the production house, and the filmmaker invested their precious time with me. So any love coming my way, or my Telugu cinema career, I attribute it all to Nagi (Nag Ashwini) Swapna Dutt, and Ashwini garu. They took the complete risk, and I am just very blessed.” 

‘I hate the word pan-India’

Considering Dulquer Salmaan efficiently juggles between Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi cinema, there is no doubt that he is definitely a pan-Indian star. Probably why it comes as a surprise when he vehemently says, “I hate the word pan-India.” Elaborating on his disdain towards the term, Dulquer talks about Kantara. “A success like Kantara is truly the best. Every film should be rooted somewhere. It has to tell the story of one place, and with the dubbing, we should only aim to reach a wider audience and help them understand the film better.”

Dulquer goes on to explain why casting pan-Indian faces is a better idea than catering your script to appeal to every section of the audience. “They like watching familiar faces. Take, for instance, Sita Ramam, which had actors from all across the country. So, in every language, you had someone you were familiar with. But it was still rooted in one place. The same thing happened with Kantara. While it might still be a familiar setting for people in the South, it was a moment of cultural discovery in other parts of India. It is important to celebrate our culture, our microculture. Such films travelling across the lengths and breadths of the country is more exciting to me than seeing a gun-heavy action film cross the boundaries.” 

ALSO READ | Dulquer Salmaan reveals why he did not do many films following King of Kotha’s underwhelming performance

‘Majority of the money spent on a film should go in the making, and not in actor’s salary’

With growing concerns about rising star salaries, and production costs, it is interesting to see the way Malayalam industry functions. “Earlier, the maximum production cost for a film was the money spent on the film reels. In fact, even now, it is frowned upon if you take a huge percentage of the film’s cost. Of course, some stars have that box-office pull, but more often than not, they produce those films,” points out Dulquer, adding, “We understand that Malayalam cinema market is not huge. So why burden the film?” 

Dulquer shares that, unlike the titular character of Lucky Baskhar, he isn’t necessarily driven by big money. “I am born to privilege, and I can’t escape from opinions that would trash me if I did a film for the money. I know my star power can open a film, but it is the content that ensures it has a long run. All the money should go into the film,” says the actor, who signs off by saying there is no point playing this numbers game with contemporaries. “I am blessed to be getting what I am paid. This is not a race, and such competitions are just a source of unnecessary unhappiness.”