‘Critique, but with kindness’: Dulquer Salman on latest release 'Chup'

There are Bollywood stars, there are stars from the southern film industry and then there are those who straddle both worlds with equal elan, and that’s where the charm of Dulquer Salman lies. The 36-year-old son of superstar Mammootty, who ventured into Bollywood with Zoya Factor (2019) and Kaarwaan (2018), became pan-Indian before being pan-Indian became cool. “So far I have had the most organic journey and I take pride in it.

I would be jealous if someone else had done the films I did and loved.  I kept choosing films that came my way and each film opened doors to another great project. Now, I am in a position where I can choose and pick amazing work,” he says. The last couple of months has been rewarding for the actor. In August, his Telugu romantic drama Sita Ramam became a huge success by earning over Rs 100 crore at the box office. Last month, his performance in the Bollywood psychological thriller, Chup: The Revenge of the Artist, was received with much acclaim.

The over two-hour-long film hinges on the premise that reviews can make or break an artiste, and the plot follows one such artiste-turned-serial killer who hunts down film critics. Like the artiste in his film, Dulquer is on the receiving end of praise and criticism alike. While he welcomes constructive criticism, he admits not taking opinions on social media too seriously.

For him, a genuine critic is one who has consumed cinema from across the world and is able to give a “studied” point of view. “If you love cinema, you should critique it, but with a certain amount of kindness. I appreciate criticism where somebody wants me to be better,” he says, adding, “On social media, people don’t really critique; it’s an opinion, and there is no method to that madness.”      

Dulquer derives his sense of validation from his audience, and friends and family, who shower him with genuine love and appreciation.

“I seek the audience’s respect as an actor and also respect them and their time. I want them
to believe that their two hours will be well spent as I am offering them quality. My family and friends give me the best perspective. Their feedback really matters,” says the Salute actor.

An intriguing aspect of Chup, which also stars Sunny Deol, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Pooja Bhatt, is its background score, which is largely dominated by songs from Guru Dutt’s films, Kagaz Ke Phool and Pyaasa. The film, Dulquer says, gave him a chance to revisit the legendary actor’s works, while also gaining an understanding of the task that filmmaking was at the time.  

“I thought his work, especially Kagaz Ke Phool, was so personal and prolific. To think that somebody can put their heart and soul into a film, even mortgage things. It also speaks of a time when making
a film was such an expensive affair. Every retake would come at a cost,” the actor says.

Having completed a decade in the entertainment business, Dulquer may have established himself as
a star, but admits that his approach towards picking projects has barely changed. “I want to be an actor who loves his work, makes bold choices and plays characters that he will be remembered
for,” Dulquer says.

Take, for instance, his role in Sita Ramam. The actor’s poignant portrayal of a soldier, who falls in love with a woman through exchanging letters, continues to capture the hearts of the audience. About choosing to play Ram, he says, “It’s not a typical love story. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime vintage classic. It’s like reading a novel, and I love reading letters. Mobile phones have done away with letter writing, but I do receive a lot of fan mail and I read them all.”

He adds that shooting the film during the pandemic was a challenge, particularly because the locations involved the snow-clad mountains of Spiti, Kaza and Kashmir. Thanks to Sita Ramam, his popularity expectedly shot up, and while Dulquer is thankful for the love, he says he wants to keep surprising the audience, something that he achieved with Chup, and promises to continue with his next venture–– Guns and Gulabs, a Netflix series. Slated for a December release, it will also mark his OTT debut.

Without revealing details about the project, Dulquer says, “Directors Raj and DK are engineers. They are analytical and logical. I was curious as to how they shoot in the long format, as they tell stories in such detail. As an actor, you have to prep, but for a series, I got to think and behave like my character for a long stretch of time.”

There are Bollywood stars, there are stars from the southern film industry and then there are those who straddle both worlds with equal elan, and that’s where the charm of Dulquer Salman lies. The 36-year-old son of superstar Mammootty, who ventured into Bollywood with Zoya Factor (2019) and Kaarwaan (2018), became pan-Indian before being pan-Indian became cool. “So far I have had the most organic journey and I take pride in it. I would be jealous if someone else had done the films I did and loved.  I kept choosing films that came my way and each film opened doors to another great project. Now, I am in a position where I can choose and pick amazing work,” he says. The last couple of months has been rewarding for the actor. In August, his Telugu romantic drama Sita Ramam became a huge success by earning over Rs 100 crore at the box office. Last month, his performance in the Bollywood psychological thriller, Chup: The Revenge of the Artist, was received with much acclaim. The over two-hour-long film hinges on the premise that reviews can make or break an artiste, and the plot follows one such artiste-turned-serial killer who hunts down film critics. Like the artiste in his film, Dulquer is on the receiving end of praise and criticism alike. While he welcomes constructive criticism, he admits not taking opinions on social media too seriously. For him, a genuine critic is one who has consumed cinema from across the world and is able to give a “studied” point of view. “If you love cinema, you should critique it, but with a certain amount of kindness. I appreciate criticism where somebody wants me to be better,” he says, adding, “On social media, people don’t really critique; it’s an opinion, and there is no method to that madness.”       Dulquer derives his sense of validation from his audience, and friends and family, who shower him with genuine love and appreciation. “I seek the audience’s respect as an actor and also respect them and their time. I want them to believe that their two hours will be well spent as I am offering them quality. My family and friends give me the best perspective. Their feedback really matters,” says the Salute actor. An intriguing aspect of Chup, which also stars Sunny Deol, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Pooja Bhatt, is its background score, which is largely dominated by songs from Guru Dutt’s films, Kagaz Ke Phool and Pyaasa. The film, Dulquer says, gave him a chance to revisit the legendary actor’s works, while also gaining an understanding of the task that filmmaking was at the time.   “I thought his work, especially Kagaz Ke Phool, was so personal and prolific. To think that somebody can put their heart and soul into a film, even mortgage things. It also speaks of a time when making a film was such an expensive affair. Every retake would come at a cost,” the actor says. Having completed a decade in the entertainment business, Dulquer may have established himself as a star, but admits that his approach towards picking projects has barely changed. “I want to be an actor who loves his work, makes bold choices and plays characters that he will be remembered for,” Dulquer says. Take, for instance, his role in Sita Ramam. The actor’s poignant portrayal of a soldier, who falls in love with a woman through exchanging letters, continues to capture the hearts of the audience. About choosing to play Ram, he says, “It’s not a typical love story. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime vintage classic. It’s like reading a novel, and I love reading letters. Mobile phones have done away with letter writing, but I do receive a lot of fan mail and I read them all.” He adds that shooting the film during the pandemic was a challenge, particularly because the locations involved the snow-clad mountains of Spiti, Kaza and Kashmir. Thanks to Sita Ramam, his popularity expectedly shot up, and while Dulquer is thankful for the love, he says he wants to keep surprising the audience, something that he achieved with Chup, and promises to continue with his next venture–– Guns and Gulabs, a Netflix series. Slated for a December release, it will also mark his OTT debut. Without revealing details about the project, Dulquer says, “Directors Raj and DK are engineers. They are analytical and logical. I was curious as to how they shoot in the long format, as they tell stories in such detail. As an actor, you have to prep, but for a series, I got to think and behave like my character for a long stretch of time.”