Actor Dulquer Salmaan recently finished shooting for his debut Hindi film but he is not chasing lead roles in Bollywood.
“I don’t think I want to play a big fancy lead role in Hindi films just for the sake of it,” he said.
Salmaan will star in a comedic road movie titled Karwaan, written and directed by debutante Akarsh Khurana. The movie also features Irrfan Khan and Mithila Palkar.
“I would prefer to do interesting roles. If I get a memorable role, it would have a bigger impact than debuting as a lead in a film where nobody knows me,” Salmaan added.
The actor is clear that Malayalam movies will always be his priority.
“I had heard some interesting ideas [for Hindi films] but I always went with my gut feeling. There is no strategy or plan, but I don’t want to lose focus in what I am doing back home. Ideally I should focus on one industry, so Malayalam films will always be the focus point, Tamil will be second and then others,” he said.
“In Hindi films, I will take it year by year. I will see how Karwaan is received, if they like me. It is a sync-sound film, not like I dubbed for it and corrected,” he said.
Salmaan isn’t worried about switching between industries.
“It’s best not to take any pressure. I don’t think there is any physical boundary you are getting in and out of. It is just another industry,” he said. “Now, everyone is watching everything. People are familiar with regional cinema and actors. There is a lot of cultural exchange happening across the country.”
Asked what does his father, Malayalam superstar Mammootty, has to say about his Bollywood debut, Salmaan said: “My family always plays it down. They don’t show too much excitement and I think that helps me be who I am. It is a very normal household where there is not much discussion of work. We need that to keep things grounded. What happens outside the house is kept it at that and is not brought it in.”
