Dulquer Salmaan on ‘Hey Sinamika’: I liked the clash between the lead characters

Dulquer Salmaan never intended to become an actor. Despite being the son of popular actor Mammootty, during his schooling in Chennai’s Disciple, he was rarely on stage. Tamil was his third language; And he still needs a little help in learning Malayalam dialogues.

Yet, here she is now: 10 years in the film industry, a dependable star in Malayalam, and a fast rising star in Tamil.

With a packed schedule in several industries including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, making him a ‘pan-Indian star’, the actor’s most popular film to date in Tamil – a film directed by Mani Ratnam. O Kadhal Kanmani (2015). However, he is taking small but steady steps in Kollywood. Part of That Road is this week’s theatrical release hey sinamikaA romance which marks the directorial debut of popular dance choreographer Vrinda.

The title is taken from a song O Kadhal Kanmani, Interestingly, the title of his last Tamil film – Hit Kannum Kannum Kolayadithali (2020)—was also borrowed from a popular song by Mani Ratnam-AR Rahman Thiruda Thiruda (1993). Dulquer laughs, “I remember saying this to Mani sir and he joked that he would soon start charging royalty from me.” He added, “I’m hoping it’s a good luck charm.”

But it’s not just luck he’s banking on. As part of the film’s promotional tour in Chennai, he describes hey sinamika Touted as an “interesting and complex romance”, starring Aditi Rao Hydari and Kajal Aggarwal in lead roles. “Usually, a love story in movies ends with a wedding. hey sinamika starts at this point. I found the conflict between the main characters interesting. We don’t need a large scale for such stories. Many moments can be created even in a small room,” says Dulquer, who has also sung the rap track, Achhamillai in the film.

While Aditi is a close friend, she says that this is the first time she has worked with Kajal. “My friends and I have been big fans since time immemorial” maghadheera, I was very excited to work with her,” says Dulquer, “It was fascinating to see how she was always in character while shooting. The girls are the real heroes of this film.”

The actor also got a chance to work with choreographer-turned-director Brinda, with whom he has collaborated several times for dance sequences. “She doesn’t just teach the steps,” he says, “she envisions each song like a short film. Most directors leave the entire song sequence to her imagination, and she comes up with several ideas to make it interesting.” Comes together, mostly on occasion. Every shot will have a little story and moment. So, when I knew she was going to direct, I had no second thoughts.”

Dulquer is part of a young Malayalam brigade that is currently making a huge impact in the OTT universe. So, why does he feel that the world has woken up to Malayalam cinema only in recent times? “Traditionally, we have been a fairly budget-conscious industry because our market is small. Therefore, we always end up shooting early. The good thing about this is that we can constantly adapt to current trends or discussions,” they say.

“Plus, our audience is very opinionated; They clearly know whether we have taken them for a ride or not,” he added. “Because of these two factors, if something isn’t working, we can quickly move on to something else that could potentially work.”

Stating that he feels that the Malayalam industry “was a bit lost in the late nineties, but has grown in recent times,” Dulquer says, “We went back to the eighties by telling origin stories. When we watch international cinema, we get to know different cultures. Similarly, we have felt that it is best to tell local stories.”

While he is doing this – his last film, ugly, if he was to play one of Kerala’s most wanted criminals – he is also considering exploring other genres and languages. He admits that his biggest challenge is balancing the different industries. “Wherever I go, people ask me, ‘Why are you taking such a huge break between films?’ I’m trying my best to bridge that.”