Dulquer Salman
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Dulquer Salmaan (born 28 July 1986) is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who predominantly works in Malayalam and Tamil films, in addition to
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
and Hindi films. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management from Purdue University and worked as a business manager in Dubai before pursuing a career in acting. Salmaan is a recipient of four
Filmfare Awards South Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
and one Kerala State Film Award. After a three-month acting course at the Barry John Acting Studio, Salmaan made his acting debut with ''
Second Show ''Second Show'' is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language action crime film directed by Srinath Rajendran and written by Vini Vishwa Lal. The film, set in the backdrop of criminal gangs of varied varieties in Kerala, tells the story of young Hari ...
'' (2012). He has since established himself as a leading actor in Indian cinema with several commercially and critically successful films including '' Ustad Hotel'' (2012), ''
ABCD ABCD is a list of the first four letters in the English alphabet. It may also refer to: Film * ''ABCD'' (film), a 2005 Tamil romance film * ''ABCD 2'', a 2015 Indian dance film * '' ABCD: American-Born Confused Desi (2013 film)'', a 2013 Mal ...
'' (2013), '' Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi'' (2013), '' Vaayai Moodi Pesavum'' (2014), '' Bangalore Days'' (2014), '' Vikramadithyan'' (2014), ''
O Kadhal Kanmani ''O Kadhal Kanmani'' (), also known as ''OK Kanmani'', is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written, directed and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen, portraying a young couple in a live-in r ...
'' (2015), ''
Charlie Charlie may refer to: Characters * "Charlie," the head of the Townsend Agency', from the ''Charlie's Angels'' franchise * Charlie, a character on signs for the CharlieCard, a smart card issued by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority * ...
'' (2015), '' Kali'' (2016), '' Jomonte Suvisheshangal'' (2017), '' Mahanati'' (2018), ''
Kurup Kurup is an Indic surname. Notable people with this surname include: *Debbie Kurup (born 1979), English actress *Deepika Kurup (American inventor, scientist, and clean water advocate * G. Shankara Kurup (1901–1978), Indian poet * O. N. V. Kurup ( ...
'' (2021) and '' Sita Ramam'' (2022). He has been recognised in the media as a fashion icon and an auto enthusiast. He owns several entrepreneurship ventures and promotes various social causes. He is also the founder of the film production company Wayfarer Films.


Early life and family

Dulquer Salmaan was born on 28 July 1986 in Kochi. He completed his primary level education at
Toc-H Public School Toc-H Public School is a public school in Kochi, Kerala, India. The school is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education ( CBSE), New Delhi, for AISSE (Grade 10) and AISSCE (Grade 12) examinations. Toc H Public School is located ...
, Vyttila, Kochi and his secondary level education at Sishya School in Chennai. He has a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Purdue University and worked at an IT firm in Dubai. Later, he decided to pursue a career in acting and attended a three-month course at the Barry John Acting Studio in Mumbai. He stated in a 2012 interview that he chose acting because "somewhere down the lane, my life became monotonous and routine".


Acting career


Early years (2012–13)

In 2011, Salmaan signed on for debutante Srinath Rajendran's ''
Second Show ''Second Show'' is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language action crime film directed by Srinath Rajendran and written by Vini Vishwa Lal. The film, set in the backdrop of criminal gangs of varied varieties in Kerala, tells the story of young Hari ...
'' (2012) in which he played the role of Harilal, a gangster. When asked in an interview about his "unconventional entry with a bunch of newcomers", Salmaan stated that it was his conscious decision as he felt that " ... when an actor debuts, he has to earn the right to be a hero and not get it through a shortcut route." The film received mixed reviews. Salmaan next starred in
Anwar Rasheed Anwar Rasheed is an Indian film director and producer who works in Malayalam films. He made his debut in 2005 with ''Rajamanikyam''.He continued to do successful action-comedy films, such as '' Chotta Mumbai'' (2007) and '' Annan Thambi'' (20 ...
's '' Ustad Hotel'' (2012). The film, which received the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, was also a major success at the box office. He also won praise for his portrayal of Faizy. For his performance, Salmaan received his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. His third film was ''
Theevram ''Theevram'' () is a Malayalam-language crime thriller film written and directed by Roopesh Peethambaran in his directorial debut, and starring Dulquer Salmaan, Shikha Nair, Sreenivasan, Vinay Forrt, Vishnu Raghav, Riya Saira and Anu Mohan. The ...
'', a crime thriller directed by Roopesh Peethambaran. The film, which released in November 2012, received mixed reviews and was a box office failure. In 2013, he signed on to appear in
Martin Prakkat Martin Prakkat is an Indian writer, director and film producer who works in the Malayalam film industry. Career Martin started his career as a celebrity photographer and worked with Vanitha Magazine for 10 years. In 2010, Martin directed ''Be ...
's comedy drama '' ABCD: American-Born Confused Desi'' in which he made his singing debut with "Johnny Mone Johnny". Both the song and the film became popular. Though the film received mixed reviews, his performance was well received by critics. Sify stated: "it is Dulquer Salmaan's show all the way and in all fairness the young actor has given his heart and soul into his character." He was also part of
Amal Neerad Amal Neerad (born on 7 October 1976) is an Indian film director, cinematographer and Film producer, producer who mainly works in Malayalam Cinema. He attended the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata (first batch). He was awarded ...
's segment ''Kullante Bharya'' in the anthology film ''
5 Sundarikal ''5 Sundarikal'' ( en, 5 Beautiful Women) is a Malayalam romantic anthology film. It contains five short stories on love about five types of women. The stories are directed by Shyju Khalid, Sameer Thahir, Aashiq Abu, Amal Neerad and Anwar Rashee ...
'' (2013). Salmaan then collaborated with Sameer Thahir in '' Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi'' (2013), a road movie. Salmaan starred in his "first love story", cinematographer Alagappan's romantic drama '' Pattam Pole'' (2013), which was a commercial failure.


2014–present

In 2014, Salmaan took on another romantic role in '' Salalah Mobiles'', with Nazriya Nazim opposite him; like ''Pattam Pole'', ''Salalah Mobiles'' could not garner much success for the actor. Salmaan's next appearance was in the Tamil-Malayalam bilingual '' Vaayai Moodi Pesavum'' (2014). While the Malayalam version '' Samsaaram Aarogyathinu Haanikaram'' was received poorly, the Tamil version received positive reviews and became a sleeper hit. IANS said Salmaan is "a treat to watch" and added, "he earns extra brownie points for dubbing in his own voice and speaking flawless Tamil." He received his second Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for the film. In
Anjali Menon Anjali Menon is an Indian filmmaker and screenwriter who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. Anjali has won international, national and state awards for her work and is best known for her feature films ''Manjadikuru,'' ''Kerala Cafe'' ( ...
's ensemble romantic comedy drama '' Bangalore Days'' (2014), Salmaan played Arjun with Nivin Pauly and Nazriya Nazim as his cousins. The film received positive reviews and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time, grossing around . Later that year, he co-starred with Unni Mukundan in Lal Jose's '' Vikramadithyan''. He then performed in what he called his "most challenging film yet" in Renjith's '' Njaan'' (2014). His performance received favourable reviews and earned him several accolades, including a second Best Actor nomination at Filmfare. In 2015, he acted opposite Nithya Menen in two films—Jenuse Mohamed's romantic comedy ''
100 Days of Love ''100 Days of Love'' is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by debutant Jenuse Mohamed. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen in the lead roles. The film released worldwide on 20 March 2015. It ...
'', and Mani Ratnam's Tamil romantic drama ''
O Kadhal Kanmani ''O Kadhal Kanmani'' (), also known as ''OK Kanmani'', is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written, directed and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen, portraying a young couple in a live-in r ...
''. About Salmaan's performance, ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' critic Baradwaj Rangan wrote: "Dulquer Salmaan checks off all boxes in the Can You Be The Next Madhavan? questionnaire", though he believed the film belonged primarily to Menen. Salmaan next played the titular character in Martin Prakkat's ''
Charlie Charlie may refer to: Characters * "Charlie," the head of the Townsend Agency', from the ''Charlie's Angels'' franchise * Charlie, a character on signs for the CharlieCard, a smart card issued by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority * ...
'' (2015). The film received eight
Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
, with Salmaan receiving his first Best Actor Award. He also received a third Best Actor nomination at Filmfare. Salmaan reunited with Sameer Thahir for his first release in 2016, '' Kali'' co-starring Sai Pallavi. When released, the film earned the highest opening day box office gross for a Malayalam film. He then starred in Rajeev Ravi's action drama '' Kammatipaadam'' (2016). The film garnered critical acclaim and became his third consecutive financial success in two years. He then appeared in Sathyan Anthikad's family drama '' Jomonte Suvisheshangal'' (2017). Despite comparisons with 2016 Malayalam drama ''
Jacobinte Swargarajyam ''Jacobinte Swargarajyam'' () is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language family- drama film written and directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan. The film revolves around Jacob Zacharia ( Renji Panicker) and the struggles faced by his son ( Nivin Pauly) to cl ...
'', the film did well commercially. His next appearance was in
Amal Neerad Amal Neerad (born on 7 October 1976) is an Indian film director, cinematographer and Film producer, producer who mainly works in Malayalam Cinema. He attended the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata (first batch). He was awarded ...
's action-adventure film '' Comrade in America'' (2017). ''The Hindu'' called it "Dulquer's big hit of 2017". He then portrayed four roles in the Malayalam-Tamil bilingual anthology '' Solo'' (2017) directed by Bejoy Nambiar. The film was critically panned and "faced immense backlash from the audience" He next featured in the Telugu film '' Mahanati'', a biopic on actress
Savitri Savitri or Savithrri may refer to: In Hinduism * Savitri, with all vowels short, a Roman-phonetic spelling of the Rigvedic solar deity Savitr *Sāvitrī, a name of the ''Gayatri Mantra'' dedicated to Savitr *Savitri (goddess), the consort of Brah ...
. His Telugu debut, the film opened to positive reviews from critics and enjoyed commercial success at the box office. Salmaan's portrayal of Gemini Ganesan was also acclaimed. Later that year, Salmaan made his Hindi film debut with ''
Karwaan ''Karwaan'' (; ) is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language road comedy-drama film written by Bejoy Nambiar and directed by debutant Akarsh Khurana, and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Priti Rathi Gupta. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan with Irrfan Khan, a ...
''. Though the film received "mixed response", Salmaan's performance was appreciated. In 2019, he starred in '' Oru Yamandan Premakadha'' a Malayalam romantic comedy film directed by B. C. Noufal. After ''
Karwaan ''Karwaan'' (; ) is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language road comedy-drama film written by Bejoy Nambiar and directed by debutant Akarsh Khurana, and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Priti Rathi Gupta. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan with Irrfan Khan, a ...
'', Salmaan's next Bollywood movie ''The Zoya Factor'' released in September 2019. Abhishek Sharma's film adaptation of
Anuja Chauhan Anuja Chauhan ( hi, अनुजा चौहान) is an Indian author, advertiser and screenwriter. As a writer, she is known for ''The Zoya Factor'' (2008), '' Battle For Bittora'' (2010), ''Those Pricey Thakur Girls'' (2013), ''The House ...
's novel '' The Zoya Factor'' did not perform well at the box-office but Salmaan's performance was appreciated. '' The Times of India'' stated: "From being playful to intense, Dulquer steals the show as he is absolutely brilliant in his portrayal". Salmaan's 2020 projects included the Tamil film '' Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal.'' In 2020, his production company Wayfarer films was launched. His first released project as a producer and actor was family drama Varane Avashyamund where he co-starred alongside Suresh Gopi, Shobana and Kalyani Priyadarshan. The film hit the screens in 2020 and garnered positive reviews. Other project of him as a producer is Shamzu Zayba's romantic-comedy '' Maniyarayile Ashokan'' which is produced through his production company Wayfarer Films, and starring Jacob Gregory and
Anupama Parameswaran Anupama Parameswaran (born 18 February 1996) is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil films. She rose to fame with her debut film ''Premam'' (2015) in Malayalam. She later went onto star in films such as ''A ...
. He starred in the 2021 crime-thriller ''
Kurup Kurup is an Indic surname. Notable people with this surname include: *Debbie Kurup (born 1979), English actress *Deepika Kurup (American inventor, scientist, and clean water advocate * G. Shankara Kurup (1901–1978), Indian poet * O. N. V. Kurup ( ...
'' in which he played the titular role of
Sukumara Kurup Sukumara Kurup (alias Sukumara Pillai) (born as P K Gopalakrishna Kurup) is an Indian fugitive and is one of the most-wanted criminals in the Indian state of Kerala. On 21 January 1984, he, along with his co-brother Bhaskara Pillai, his driver P ...
, also marks his third production venture which has become the highest grossing Malayalam film in 2021 and highest-grossing film of his career. In March 2022, his film '' Salute'' was released in SonyLIV. His Telugu-language period romantic film '' Sita Ramam'', released in August 2022, became commercially successful. Though he is a Malayali, he dubbed in all the languages in which the movie was released, bagging appreciation from many. He began to be known as pan-Indian actor since this period. Mrunal Thakur played the role of Sita in this movie. His Bollywood Psychological Crime Thriller Chup: Revenge of the Artist hit theatres in September 2022. His upcoming projects include Guns&Gulaabs,a Netflix series and King of Kotha.


Personal life and off-screen work

On 22 December 2011, he married architect Amal Sufiya in an
arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures a professional matchmaker may be us ...
. Amal comes from a North Indian
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
family settled in Chennai. The couple has a daughter born in May 2017. He has acted in a short film as part of the Kerala motor vehicle department's safe riding campaign. He donated 150 items, including clothing, shoes, books, school supplies and crockery items, as a part of the Chennai Gives initiative. In addition, he used to run a web portal for trading cars, and a dental business chain in Chennai. He also is the director of the Bangalore-based Motherhood Hospital.


In the media

Dulquer Salmaan was ranked fourth by GQ in their listing of the 50 most influential young Indians of 2016. He was also featured by GQ in their listing of the Best Dressed Men India 2016. He was selected as the "Most Desirable Man" in 2013 and 2014 by Kochi Times, subsidiary of The Times Group. In 2019, Salmaan became the first actor from Kerala to get featured on the October edition cover of Vogue India.


Filmography


As an actor


Web series


Other crew positions


Discography


Awards and nominations


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Salmaan, Dulquer 1986 births Living people Indian male film actors Male actors in Malayalam cinema Male actors in Tamil cinema Male actors in Hindi cinema Male actors in Telugu cinema Male actors from Kochi Filmfare Awards South winners Krannert School of Management alumni 21st-century Indian male actors South Indian International Movie Awards winners Kerala State Film Award winners Age controversies