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Dulquer Salmaan (; born 28 July 1983) is an Indian actor, singer and producer who predominantly works in
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
films. One of the highest paid Malayalam actors, Salmaan is a recipient of several awards including five
Filmfare Awards South The Filmfare Awards South are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, Malayalam cinema and Kannada cinema. They are presented by ''Filmfare'' magazine of The Times Group. When it was intr ...
, one
Kerala State Film Award The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a cinema of kerala, motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs (Kerala), Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and sin ...
, one Kerala Film Critics Association Award and one Gaddar Telangana Film Award. Born to actor
Mammootty Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...
, Salmaan graduated with a bachelor's degree in
business management Business administration is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. Overview The administration of a business includes the performance o ...
from
Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
and worked as a business manager in
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
before pursuing a career in acting. After a three-month acting course at the
Barry John Barry John (6 January 1945 – 4 February 2024) was a Welsh rugby union fly-half who played in the 1960s and early 1970s during the amateur era of the sport. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RF ...
acting Studio, Salmaan made his acting debut with ''
Second Show ''Second Show'' is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language neo-noir action thriller 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 H ...
'' (2012) and received the
Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South The Filmfare Best Male Debut Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for South Indian films. For Tamil films, 12 actors are awarded and for Telugu films, 10 actors are awarded, Malayalam films, thre ...
for his performance in ''
Ustad Hotel ''Ustad Hotel'' is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Anwar Rasheed, written by Anjali Menon and produced by Listin Stephen. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Thilakan and Nithya Menen with Siddique, Mamukkoya, and Lena in ...
'' (2012). Following his performance in ''
ABCD The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network that serves as the flagship property of the Disney Entertainment division of the Walt Disney Company. ABC is headquartered on Riverside ...
'' (2013), '' Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi'' (2013), ''
Vaayai Moodi Pesavum ''Vaayai Moodi Pesavum'' () is a 2014 Indian satirical romantic comedy film directed by Balaji Mohan. Produced by Varun Manian and S. Sashikanth under their respective production houses, Radiance Media Group and YNOT Studios, the film stars D ...
'' (2014), Salmaan achieved his career breakthrough with ''
Bangalore Days ''Bangalore Days'' is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language coming of age romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Anjali Menon, and produced by Anwar Rasheed and Sophia Paul under the banner Anwar Rasheed Entertainments and Weekend Blo ...
'' (2014). He established himself as a leading Malayalam actor with '' Vikramadithyan'' (2014), '' Charlie'' (2015), which earned him
Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor The Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1969, presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India to an actor for best performance in a Malayalam cinema, Malayalam film. Until 1997, the awards were managed direct ...
, ''
Kali Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who p ...
'' (2016), ''
Kammatti Paadam ''Kammatipaadam'', alternatively spelled as ''Kammatti Paadam'', is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language action drama film directed by Rajeev Ravi and written by P. Balachandran. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Vinayakan, Shaun Romy, Manikandan R. ...
'' (2016), ''
Jomonte Suvisheshangal ''Jomonte Suvisheshangal'' ( ''Jomon's Gospels'') is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and written by Iqbal Kuttippuram. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Mukesh, Aishwarya Rajesh (in her Malayalam d ...
'' (2017) and ''
Kurup Kurup is an Indic surname. Notable people with this surname include: * Achutha Kurup (died 2017), Indian volleyball player, coach and naval officer *Arthur Joseph Kurup (born 1982), Malaysian politician, lawyer and economist * Ashwathy Kurup (born ...
'' (2021). Salmaan expanded to Tamil films with the box office successes, ''
O Kadhal Kanmani ''O Kadhal Kanmani'' (), also known as ''OK Kanmani'', is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic drama film written, directed and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen, portraying a young couple in a ...
'' (2015) and ''
Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal ''Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal'' () is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language romantic heist comedy film written and directed by Desingh Periyasamy in his directorial debut. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Ritu Varma, Rakshan, and Niranjani Ahathia ...
'' (2020). His highest-grossing releases came with the Telugu films ''
Mahanati ''Mahanati'' () is a 2018 Indian Telugu cinema, Telugu-language biographical film, biographical drama (film and television), drama film based on the life of actress Savitri (actress), Savitri. It is written and directed by Nag Ashwin, and prod ...
'' (2018), ''
Sita Ramam ''Sita Ramam'' () is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language period romantic drama film directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. Produced by C. Aswani Dutt, under Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema, it starred Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur in the titular ro ...
'' (2022) and ''
Lucky Baskhar ''Lucky Baskhar'' (stylised as ''LUCKY BASKHA₹'') is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language period crime drama film written and directed by Venky Atluri. Produced by Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four Cinema and Srikara Studios, the film stars Dulq ...
'' (2024). For ''Mahanati'' and ''Sita Ramam'', he won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Telugu. Alongside his acting career, Salmaan is a producer, singer and philanthropist. He is married to architect Amal Sufiya with whom he has a daughter.


Personal life and family

Dulquer Salmaan was born on 28 July 1983 in
Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
. He is the youngest son of the actor
Mammootty Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...
. He completed his primary level education at Toc-H Public School,
Vyttila Vyttila, , is a ward in the city of Kochi, Kerala. It is a prominent area located in southern Kochi. The Vyttila junction is the busiest as well as the largest intersection in Kerala. This node intersects the main north–south artery of the ...
,
Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
and his secondary level education at
Sishya School Sishya is an Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) syllabus Indian school, based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1972 by Mr K.I. Thomas, it has grown from just 28 students to over a thousand students, and 2 branches. It is affilia ...
in
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
. He has a bachelor's degree in Business Management from
Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
and worked at an IT firm in
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
. Later, bored by the monotony of corporate life, he decided to pursue a career in acting and attended a three-month acting course at the
Barry John Barry John (6 January 1945 – 4 February 2024) was a Welsh rugby union fly-half who played in the 1960s and early 1970s during the amateur era of the sport. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RF ...
Acting Studio in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. On 22 December 2011, Salmaan married architect Amal Sufiya in an
arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of Marriage, 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 matchmaki ...
. Amal comes from a
North Indian North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
family settled in
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
. The couple has a daughter born on 5 May 2017. Amal and Dulquer attended the same school, with Amal being five years junior to Dulquer. According to Dulquer, they coincidentally met three or four times. Dulquer later initiated contact by messaging Amal on Facebook to arrange a coffee meeting.


Career


Early work (2012–13)

In 2011, Salmaan signed on for debutante Srinath Rajendran's crime film ''
Second Show ''Second Show'' is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language neo-noir action thriller 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 H ...
'' (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 was a commercial success. 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'' ...
's ''
Ustad Hotel ''Ustad Hotel'' is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Anwar Rasheed, written by Anjali Menon and produced by Listin Stephen. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Thilakan and Nithya Menen with Siddique, Mamukkoya, and Lena in ...
'' (2012). The film, which received the
National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment The National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India, and was constituted in the year 1975. This is one of th ...
, was also a major commercial success at the box office. He received praises for his portrayal of Faizy a budding chef, and a critic of ''
Sify Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology (ICT) company providing telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation integration services, and ...
'' noted, "Dulquer continues his fine form following his impressive debut in ''Second Show''". For his performance, Salmaan won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – Malayalam, in addition to his first nomination for the
Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam The Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam is presented annually by ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its Filmfare Awards South ceremony, honoring excellence in Malayalam cinema. The award was instituted in 1972 and is determined by a jury. ...
. His third film was '' Theevram'', a crime thriller directed by Roopesh Peethambaran. The film, which released in November 2012, 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 ''B ...
'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 13 February 1978) is an Indian film director, cinematographer and producer who mainly works in Malayalam cinema. He attended the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata (first batch). He was awarded the National F ...
's segment ''Kullante Bharya'' in the anthology film ''
5 Sundarikal ''5 Sundarikal'' () 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 Rasheed, and feature an en ...
'' (2013). Salmaan then collaborated with
Sameer Thahir Sameer C. Thahir (born 7 November 1976) is an Indian cinematography, cinematographer, screenwriter, Film producer, producer and film director, who works primarily in Malayalam cinema. He is a graduate of Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, Mahar ...
in '' Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi'' (2013), a road film. Salmaan starred in his "first love story", cinematographer Alagappan's romantic drama ''
Pattam Pole ''Pattam Pole'' (English: ''Like a Kite'') is a 2013 Malayalam romantic film directed by cinematographer Alagappan N, who makes his directorial debut. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Malavika Mohanan (in her acting debut) with Archana Kavi, ...
'' (2013), which was a commercial failure.


Established actor (2014–2016)

In 2014, Salmaan took on another romantic role in '' Salalah Mobiles'', with
Nazriya Nazim Nazriya Nazim Fahadh (born 20 December 1994) is an Indian actress, producer and singer who primarily works in Malayalam and Tamil films. Known for her strong women portrayals, Nazriya is a recipient of several accolades including two Kerala St ...
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 ''Vaayai Moodi Pesavum'' () is a 2014 Indian satirical romantic comedy film directed by Balaji Mohan. Produced by Varun Manian and S. Sashikanth under their respective production houses, Radiance Media Group and YNOT Studios, the film stars D ...
'' (2014). While the Malayalam version ''
Samsaaram Aarogyathinu Haanikaram ''Vaayai Moodi Pesavum'' () is a 2014 Indian satirical romantic comedy film directed by Balaji Mohan. Produced by Varun Manian and S. Sashikanth under their respective production houses, Radiance Media Group and YNOT Studios, the film stars ...
'' was received poorly, the Tamil version received positive reviews and became a
sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit refers to a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have ...
. ''
IANS Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. It was founded in 1986 by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the "India Abroad News Service" and later renamed. In December 2023, Adani Group, Adani group, known for its clos ...
'' stated that Salmaan is "a treat to watch" and added, "he earns extra brownie points for dubbing in his own voice and speaking flawless Tamil." He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – Tamil for his performance in the film. Salmaan felt that the film did not work in Malayalam due to the different sensibilities of the audience. Salmaan established himself as a leading Malayalam actor with
Anjali Menon Anjali Menon is an Indian film director 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 ''
Bangalore Days ''Bangalore Days'' is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language coming of age romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Anjali Menon, and produced by Anwar Rasheed and Sophia Paul under the banner Anwar Rasheed Entertainments and Weekend Blo ...
'', his other release of 2014. Salmaan played a biker Arjun, opposite Parvathy, with
Nivin Pauly Nivin Pauly (born 11 October 1984) is an Indian actor and producer who works predominantly in Malayalam films. He is the recipient of two Kerala State Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards South, two Kerala Film Critics Association Awards, and ...
and Nazriya Nazim as his cousins. The film emerged as one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time, grossing around . Aswin J Kumar of ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' noted, "Dulquer brings in a rugged charm and a brusque carelessness into Arjun." Later that year, he co-starred with
Unni Mukundan Unnikrishnan Mukundan (born 22 September 1987), popularly known as Unni Mukundan, is an India, Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. Unni made his acting debut with the Tamil film ''Seedan'' (2011). Afte ...
in
Lal Jose Lal Jose is an Indian director, actor, producer, and distributor who works in the Malayalam film industry. He started his career as an Assistant director in the Malayalam cinema. His directorial debut was with the 1998 film '' Oru Maravat ...
's '' Vikramadithyan''. He then starred in what he called his "most challenging film yet" in
Renjith Ranjith Balakrishnan is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor who works in Malayalam cinema. Ranjith made his directorial debut in 2001 with ''Ravanaprabhu'', the sequel to '' Devaasuram''. He has won three National Film ...
's period drama ''
Njaan ''Njaan'' (Indian English, English: ''"I"'') is a 2014 Cinema of India, Indian Malayalam cinema, Malayalam-language Historical drama, period drama film directed by Ranjith (director), Ranjith with Dulquer Salmaan in a dual role as K.T.N Kotoor a ...
''. His performance received favourable reviews and earned him several accolades, including his second Best Actor – Malayalam nomination at Filmfare. Further success came in 2015 with two films opposite
Nithya Menen N. S. Nithya (born 8 April 1990), known professionally as Nithya Menen is an Indian actress and singer who works predominantly in Malayalam, Tamil language, Tamil, and Telugu language, Telugu films . She has also acted in few Kannada langua ...
—Jenuse Mohamed's Malayalam film ''
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 in a dual role, alongside Nithya Menen in the lead roles. The film released worldwide ...
'', and
Mani Ratnam Gopalaratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and a few Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. H ...
's Tamil film ''
O Kadhal Kanmani ''O Kadhal Kanmani'' (), also known as ''OK Kanmani'', is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic drama film written, directed and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen, portraying a young couple in a ...
'', where he played a video game developer.
Baradwaj Rangan Baradwaj Rangan () is an Indian film critic and writer. A chemical engineering graduate with no formal training in filmmaking or cinema writing, he has a diverse career in advertising, IT consulting, and cinema writing. He has authored two boo ...
wrote: "Dulquer checks off all boxes in the 'Can You Be The Next Madhavan?' questionnaire" and Haricharan Pudipeddi noted, "Dulquer is at ease, speaking his lines in Tamil; he looked most suitable in the role." Though both believed the film belonged primarily to Menen. Salmaan next played the titular role of a carefree vagabond in '' Charlie'', which earned him the
Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor The Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1969, presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India to an actor for best performance in a Malayalam cinema, Malayalam film. Until 1997, the awards were managed direct ...
, in addition to his third Filmfare Best Actor – Malayalam nomination. Vishnu Varma of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' noted, "For a film that gravitates and leans too much on the central character, Dulquer clearly does not disappoint. He has set the bar indeed high with this role." All three films emerged as box office successes, thus establishing his career. Salmaan played a man facing anger management issues in his first Malayalam release of 2016, ''
Kali Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who p ...
'' opposite
Sai Pallavi Sai Pallavi Senthamarai Kannan (; born 9 May 1992) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. Recognised as one of the finest actors in South Indian cinema, known for her portrayals of strong and challeng ...
. The film emerged a commercial success. Deepa Soman of ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' stated, "Dulquer is quite convincing, without excess drama. The action scenes showcase his attitude and style." He then played a lower cast boy in another Malayalam release ''
Kammatipaadam ''Kammatipaadam'', alternatively spelled as ''Kammatti Paadam'', is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language action drama film directed by Rajeev Ravi and written by P. Balachandran. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Vinayakan, Shaun Romy, Manikandan R. A ...
'', which garnered critical acclaim; Salmaan's performance being praised. Both performances earned him the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Malayalam.


Career expansion (2017–2021)

He then appeared in
Sathyan Anthikad Sathyan Anthikad is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and lyricist who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. In a career spanning five decades he has directed more than 50 films, been the lyricist for 12 films and been the scriptwriter ...
's family drama ''
Jomonte Suvisheshangal ''Jomonte Suvisheshangal'' ( ''Jomon's Gospels'') is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and written by Iqbal Kuttippuram. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Mukesh, Aishwarya Rajesh (in her Malayalam d ...
'' (2017). Despite comparisons with the 2016 Malayalam drama ''
Jacobinte Swargarajyam ''Jacobinte Swargarajyam'' () is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film written and directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan. The film stars Nivin Pauly and Renji Panicker. It revolves around a wealthy businessman and the struggles faced by h ...
'', the film did well commercially. His next appearance was in
Amal Neerad Amal Neerad (born 13 February 1978) is an Indian film director, cinematographer and producer who mainly works in Malayalam cinema. He attended the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata (first batch). He was awarded the National F ...
'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 Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...
'' (2017) directed by
Bejoy Nambiar Bejoy Nambiar (born 12 April 1979) is an Indian film director, and screenwriter known for his work in Bollywood. He is mostly known for his critically acclaimed short films, ''Rahu'' and '' Reflections'', starring Mohanlal. He was the winner o ...
. The film was critically panned and faced immense backlash from the audience. He next featured in the Telugu film ''
Mahanati ''Mahanati'' () is a 2018 Indian Telugu cinema, Telugu-language biographical film, biographical drama (film and television), drama film based on the life of actress Savitri (actress), Savitri. It is written and directed by Nag Ashwin, and prod ...
'', a biopic on actress Savitri. His Telugu debut, the film opened to highly positive reviews from critics and emerged as a commercial success at the box office. Salmaan's portrayal of
Gemini Ganesan Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred as Kaadhal Mannan (King of Romance) for his romantic roles in films. G ...
was acclaimed, and earned him the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Telugu, in addition to his first nomination for the
Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu The Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The awards were extended to "Best Actor" in 1972 The year indicates the year of release of the fi ...
. Later that year, Salmaan made his
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
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 for producers Ronnie Screwvala and Priti Rathi Gupta. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan (in his Hindi film deb ...
'', co-starring alongside
Irrfan Khan Irrfan Khan () (born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan; 7 January 196729 April 2020) was an Indian actor who worked in Indian cinema as well as British and American films. Widely regarded as one of the finest actors in world cinema, Khan's career spa ...
and
Mithila Palkar Mithila Palkar (born 11 January 1993) is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Hindi films and television. Palkar is known for her characters in the television shows ''Girl in the City'' and Dice Media's '' Little Things''. She rose to p ...
''.'' Though the film received mixed reviews, Salmaan's performance was appreciated. In 2019, he starred in ''
Oru Yamandan Premakadha ''Oru Yamandan Premakadha'' () is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language comedy thriller film directed by B. C. Noufal and written by Bibin George and Vishnu Unnikrishnan. It stars Dulquer Salmaan, Soubin Shahir, Salim Kumar, and Vishnu Unnikrishn ...
'' a
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
film directed by B. C. Noufal. which was a big flop. After ''
Karwaan ''Karwaan'' (; ) is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language road comedy-drama film written by Bejoy Nambiar and directed by debutant Akarsh Khurana for producers Ronnie Screwvala and Priti Rathi Gupta. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan (in his Hindi film deb ...
'', Salmaan's next Bollywood film ''The Zoya Factor'' released in September 2019.
Abhishek Sharma Abhishek Sharma (born 4 September 2000) is an Indian cricketer who plays for the national team. He made his debut against Zimbabwe in July 2024. His maiden T20I century came in his second match. He plays as a left-handed opening batter and a l ...
's film adaptation of Anuja Chauhan's novel '' The Zoya Factor'' did not perform well at the box-office but Salmaan's performance was appreciated. ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' 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 ''Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal'' () is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language romantic heist comedy film written and directed by Desingh Periyasamy in his directorial debut. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Ritu Varma, Rakshan, and Niranjani Ahathia ...
'', which earned him his first nomination for the
Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil The Filmfare Best Actor Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil film lead actors. The Filmfare Awards South Awards were extended to "Best Actor" in 1972. The year indicates the year of release of t ...
. In 2020, his production company, Wayfarer Films, was launched. His first released project as a producer and actor was the family drama ''
Varane Avashyamund ''Varane Avashyamund'' () is a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Anoop Sathyan, in his directorial debut. It was produced by Dulquer Salmaan under the banner of Wayfarer Films, and The film stars Suresh ...
'' where he co-starred alongside
Suresh Gopi Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, playback singer, television presenter and politician who is currently serving as the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Minister of Tourism since June 2024. He was ele ...
,
Shobana Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai (born 21 March 1970); known mononymously as Shobana, is an Indian actress and Bharatanatyam dancer, who works predominantly in Malayalam films, in addition to Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English and Kannada films. She is ...
and
Kalyani Priyadarshan Kalyani Priyadarshan (born 5 April 1993) is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Malayalam films, in addition to Tamil and Telugu films. Kalyani is a recipient of one Filmfare Award South and three South Indian International Movie A ...
. 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 primarily works in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil films. Anupama made her debut with the successful Malayalam film ''Premam'' (2015) and is known for her work in ''Kodi'' (2016 ...
. He starred in the 2021 crime-thriller ''
Kurup Kurup is an Indic surname. Notable people with this surname include: * Achutha Kurup (died 2017), Indian volleyball player, coach and naval officer *Arthur Joseph Kurup (born 1982), Malaysian politician, lawyer and economist * Ashwathy Kurup (born ...
'' in which he played the title 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 brother-in-law Bhaskara Pillai, his driv ...
, also marks his third production venture which has become the highest grossing Malayalam film in 2021 and the highest-grossing film of his career.


Success and recognition (2022–present)

Salmaan's first release of 2022 was the Tamil film ''
Hey Sinamika ''Hey! Sinamika'' () is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by Brinda, in her directorial debut, and produced by Jio Studios and Global One Studios. It is an adaptation of the 2008 Argentine film '' A Boyfriend for My Wi ...
'' opposite
Aditi Rao Hydari Aditi Rao Hydari (born 28 October 1986) is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi cinema, Hindi, Tamil cinema, Tamil, and Telugu cinema, Telugu films. Born into the Tyabji family, Tyabji–Hydari family, she made her acting debut with the Mal ...
and
Kajal Aggarwal Kajal A Kitchlu (née Aggarwal; born 19 June 1985), known professionally as Kajal Aggarwal, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films. Aggarwal is considered as one of the highest paid actresses of South In ...
. It was a box office failure. His next co-production, Malayalam film ''
Salute A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Boy Sc ...
'' opposite
Diana Penty Diana Penty (; born 2 November 1985) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi films. She began her modelling career in 2005 when she was signed up by Elite Models India. Penty then made her acting debut with the romantic comedy fil ...
was released in
SonyLIV Sony LIV is an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Culver Max Entertainment. Sony LIV was introduced in 2013 as the first OTT service in India. As a streaming service, it provides live sports, origina ...
and fetched him positive reviews for his portrayal of a police officer. Salmaan then appeared in the Telugu film ''
Sita Ramam ''Sita Ramam'' () is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language period romantic drama film directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. Produced by C. Aswani Dutt, under Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema, it starred Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur in the titular ro ...
'' opposite
Mrunal Thakur Mrunal Thakur (born 1 August 1992) is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Hindi cinema, Hindi and Telugu cinema, Telugu films. Thakur is a recipient of several accolades including a Filmfare Awards South, three South Indian Internation ...
, that won him the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Telugu. Despite being a
Malayali The Malayali people (; also spelt Malayalee and sometimes known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala and Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India, occupying its south ...
, he dubbed in all the languages in which the film was released, thus becoming a prominent
pan-Indian Pan-Indianism is a philosophical and political approach promoting unity and, to some extent, cultural homogenization, among different Indigenous groups in the Americas regardless of tribal distinctions and cultural differences. This approach to ...
actor with the film. The film and his performance received critical acclaim and the film proved to be a major commercial success at the box-office. Janani K of ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...
'' noted, "Dulquer Salmaan hit it out of the park with their performance. Dulquer as Ram and Mrunal as Sita are picture perfect." His last release that year was the Hindi film '' Chup: Revenge of the Artist'', which received mixed reviews. In 2023, Salmaan first appeared in the web with ''
Guns & Gulaabs ''Guns & Gulaabs'' is an Indian Hindi-language black comedy crime thriller television series on Netflix, created and directed by Raj & DK. Produced under the banner D2R Films in collaboration with Netflix, the series stars Dulquer Salmaan, Rajk ...
'', a
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
series. He played a Narcotics officer opposite
Pooja Gor Pooja Gor (born 1 June 1991) is an Indian television actress. She is best known for her role of Pratigya in '' Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya''. In 2014, she participated in the reality show '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 5''. Early life Pooja Gor ...
.
Saibal Chatterjee Saibal Chatterjee is an Indian film critic, editor and documentary screenwriter. He was a columnist at ''BBC News'', ''Business Standard'', ''Hindustan Times'' and '' The Financial Express''. He has also written for ''The Telegraph'', ''The Tim ...
stated that he gives a "wonderful performance". Next he appeared in the Malayalam film '' King of Kotha'' opposite
Aishwarya Lekshmi Aishwarya Lekshmi (born 6 September 1991) is an Indian actress and producer who works predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil films. She has received one Filmfare Award South, one Kerala Film Critics Association Award and three SIIMA Awards. A ...
, which he also co-produced, but was a box office failure. Salmaan started 2024 with a cameo appearance in ''
Kalki 2898 AD ''Kalki 2898 AD'' () is a 2024 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language Epic film, epic Mythological film, mythological Science fiction film, science-fiction film co-written and directed by Nag Ashwin. Produced by Vyjayanthi Movies, it features ...
'', which became the year's second highest-grossing Indian film. His next release that year was ''
Lucky Baskhar ''Lucky Baskhar'' (stylised as ''LUCKY BASKHA₹'') is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language period crime drama film written and directed by Venky Atluri. Produced by Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four Cinema and Srikara Studios, the film stars Dulq ...
'' opposite Meenakshi Chaudhary. Sangeetha Devi Dundoo noted, "Dulquer portrays Baskhar with all sincerity. Dulquer is in control, both in speaking the language and enhancing the solid writing in the later portions." A box office success, it emerged as his highest grossing release.


Other work and public image

Salmaan is considered among the most popular and highest-paid actors of
Malayalam cinema Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam, Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both th ...
. In 2017, he appeared in ''
Forbes India ''Forbes India'' is the Indian edition of ''Forbes'', which is managed by the Reliance Industries-owned media conglomerate, Network 18. History and profile Since its founding in 2008, ''Forbes India'' has achieved a circulation of 50,000 copies ...
'' Celebrity 100 list, where he was placed at 79th position with an estimated annual income of . He stood at the 6th place in its most influential stars on Instagram in South cinema for the year 2021. 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, 2014 and 2020 by ''Kochi Times'', a subsidiary of ''
The Times Group Bennett Coleman and Company Limited (BCCL), d/b/a the Times Group, is an Indian media conglomerate based in Mumbai. Notable media properties owned and operated by the group include India's largest selling daily English-language newspaper ''The ...
''. In 2019, Salmaan became the first Malayalam actor to get featured on the cover of ''
Vogue India ''Vogue India'' is the Indian edition of the monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine '' Vogue''. It is the 17th international edition of ''Vogue'' and the first edition in South Asia. ''Vogue India'' is published by Condé Nast India Pvt. Ltd., ...
''. Salmaan 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 Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
-based Motherhood Hospital.


Discography

* (D) indicates dubbing.


Accolades

Salmaan has received the
Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor The Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1969, presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India to an actor for best performance in a Malayalam cinema, Malayalam film. Until 1997, the awards were managed direct ...
for ''Charlie''. Additionally, he has won five
Filmfare Awards South The Filmfare Awards South are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, Malayalam cinema and Kannada cinema. They are presented by ''Filmfare'' magazine of The Times Group. When it was intr ...
out of eleven nominations: Best Male Debut – South for ''Ustad Hotel'' and ''Vaayai Moodi Pesavum'', Best Actor Critics – Malayalam for ''Kali'' and ''Kammatipaadam'', and Best Actor Critics – Telugu for ''Mahanati'' and ''Sita Ramam''. He has also won Gaddar Telangana Film Award Special Jury for
Lucky Baskhar ''Lucky Baskhar'' (stylised as ''LUCKY BASKHA₹'') is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language period crime drama film written and directed by Venky Atluri. Produced by Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four Cinema and Srikara Studios, the film stars Dulq ...
.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Salmaan, Dulquer 1980s 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 Kerala Film Critics Awards winners Krannert School of Management alumni 21st-century Indian male actors South Indian International Movie Awards winners Kerala State Film Award winners Age controversies Indian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates Indian expatriates in the United States IIFA Utsavam winners Year of birth missing (living people)