Actor Dulquer Salmaan has spoken about the unexpected hurdles he faced during his early years in Bollywood, despite arriving with strong credentials from Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu cinema.

Fresh off the acclaim for ‘Kaantha’ and the record-breaking success of his home production ‘Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra’, Dulquer has emerged as one of the year’s most influential stars. Though born to Malayalam icon Mammootty, he has steadily built a career that spans multiple industries on his own merit.

In a recent roundtable with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor reflected on the uncomfortable treatment he and his small team encountered on Hindi film sets during his initial projects.

Illusion of being the big star

Dulquer, 42, who made his Hindi debut with the 2018 film ‘Karwaan’, said that his first engagements in Mumbai left him surprised. Recalling how he and his crew were handled on set, he said, “When I did Hindi films here, my two people that I would come with, we would just get pushed around on sets. I had to create this illusion of being this big star, otherwise I wouldn’t find a chair to sit on.”

He added that access to basic spaces like the monitor was difficult, saying, “I wouldn’t find a place to see behind the monitor, there were so many people. So, it’s all about perception. Apparently, if you come in some fancy car with a lot of people, then the perception is that he is a star. It’s sad, that’s not the way my energy should go, right?”

Bollywood’s scale and culture played a role

Reflecting on why such behaviour might have occurred, the ‘Lucky Baskhar’ actor said he tried not to blame any industry but believed the size of the Hindi film ecosystem influences how artistes are treated. “I just couldn’t understand. I don’t want to be mean to any industry, but I guess it’s a cultural thing. Me and Rana (Daggubati) were discussing that the size of the Hindi industry is so massive – the number of theatres, markets, and so many states speak the language and watch those films. We have just 1–2 states and we think like we are the big deal. Maybe, the size of the industry influences things,” he shared.

Upcoming projects

Dulquer was most recently seen in the Tamil period drama ‘Kaantha’. He is now preparing for his next Malayalam project, titled ‘I’m Game’, where he plays the lead role.

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