Dulquer Salmaan’s the most sought-after pan-Indian star right now. Here’s why!

Dulquer Salmaan, who on February 3, 2021, completed nine years since his debut film Second Show, is currently one of the most popular actors, not just in the South, but the entire country. His current line-up of movies – four projects in four different languages – is proof enough of his massive fanbase and pan-Indian appeal.

Priyanka Dutt, who had earlier worked with the superstar in Mahanati and is the producer of his upcoming Telugu movie, probably said it best when we asked about roping in the actor for the next project. “Dulquer is one of the few actors who have a huge fan base in all three languages. Actors are usually popular in Telugu and Tamil. Dulquer’s Telugu movies OK Bangaram (OK Kanmani) and Mahanati did well here and got him a huge fan base among Telugu audiences, who love him as their own. He’s in a very good space, where all three States relate to his characters, so it’s great to have him as part of the project,” she said.

The actor’s fanbase, however, transcends just the South industry with lately even Bollywood filmmakers such as Farah Khan and Karan Johar expressing interest in working with the Malayalam actor. These upcoming projects prove why Dulquer is the most sought-after pan-Indian star right now.

The success of his 2020 Tamil release Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal expanded his already huge fanbase in Kollywood and added another varied movie in his already eclectic repertoire of films. With choreographer Brinda master’s Hey Sinamika, which also stars Aditi Rao Hydari and Kajal Aggarwal, Dulquer will be returning to the romcom genre in Kollywood after Mani Ratnam’s OK Kanmani. With the star cast and Dulquer’s appeal, the movie would be released in several languages.

With his Hindi movies Karwaan and The Zoya Factor, Dulquer proved that he has got what it takes to make it big in Bollywood too. And filmmakers have taken due notice. His upcoming edge-of-the-seat thriller with Shamitabh and Pad Man director R Balki is reportedly set to go on floors later this year. Balki scripted the film during the lockdown and according to sources, the team felt Dulquer would be apt to play the protagonist.

While he has been flooded with offers from across the industries, Dulquer has always maintained that primarily he is a Mollywood actor. His film with director Rosshan Andrrews and scriptwriters Bobby and Sanjay will have him playing the role of a cop throughout a movie for the first time and fans are eagerly awaiting for the movie to hit theatres. The movie, which is reportedly titled Salute, will have Bollywood actress Diana Penty as the heroine and has gone on floors in Kollam recently.

After Mahanati, Dulquer gained a huge fan base in Telugu. He will next be starring in a period love story set against the backdrop of war. The untitled movie, which is directed by Telugu filmmaker Hanu Raghavapudi, will be released in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil.

Dulquer plays the role of Lieutenant Ram in the film, which is set in 1964. On the movie, Hanu told us, “It’s a historical fiction. While it’s a love story, it’s got an army backdrop too so there will be a lot of action scenes. It will have many different locations but it will be extensively set in Kashmir.”

Dulquer and Srinath Rajendran’s hugely anticipated movie Kurup is life in the film industry coming to a full circle for those involved in the film. The duo, who debuted nine years ago, have teamed up for their biggest project till date – made on a budget of Rs 35 crore – and the film will be released in five languages – Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu. With a star cast featuring Sobitha Dhulipala, Indrajith, Sunny Wayne and Shine Tom Chacko, the movie is expected to be one of the biggest crowd-pullers in Mollywood this year and we are sure it will attract crowds in other industries as well. The film has Dulquer playing the infamous fugitive Sukumara Kurup.