Actor Dulquer Salmaan grips a gun with a bloodied hand and lounges on a couch in the first-look poster of his upcoming film I’m Game.

In the poster Dulquer dropped on Friday, he dons a pinstriped pantsuit and lounges on a red couch as if it were his throne. A gun rests in his blood-stained hand, suggesting he’s fresh from a brutal fight. Behind him, an eclectic mix of figures populates a casino-like setting, hinting at a high-stakes plunge into the criminal underworld.

Dulquer captioned the poster, “Homecoming.” I’m Game marks Dulquer’s return to Malayalam cinema after the 2023 film King of Kotha.

Fans could not keep calm after the poster was unveiled. “Time to return to the Kingdom,” one of them commented. “Homecoming in style,” another wrote. “Oh yeaahhhhh. Let’s go! And kill it,” added an Instagram user.

Directed by Nahas Hidhayath, I’m Game also stars Mysskin and Samyuktha Viswanathan. It is written by Ismail Aboobacker, Sajeer Baba and Nahas Hidhayath. Producers of the film include Jomi Varghese alongside Dulquer.

Dulquer was last seen in the period drama Kaantha, which revolves around a father-son drama set in 1950s Madras.

Veteran actor Samuthirakani plays a revered filmmaker, lovingly called “Ayya”, while Dulquer essays the role of his superstar son in Kaantha. Tensions flare between the two, hinting at a clash of egos that forms the emotional core of the narrative.

Written and directed by Selvamani Selvaraj, Kaantha is produced by Dulquer under the banners of Wayfarer Films and Spirit Media. The film hit theatres on 12 September.