He has us at that name: We love the sound of Dulquer (pronounced Dul-kar), which means ‘expressive’ and ‘refined’; Salmaan is, of course, the name of Bolly’s biggest superstar, making Dulquer automatically acquire some serious #Bollycred. He’s gone on record to say that the name has a reference to the great warrior Alexander. What makes it even cooler? Everyone calls him DQ.  

He doesn’t flaunt his family name: Dulquer is Malayalam superstar Mammotty’s son, but the 32-year-old is not known to name-drop to get his way. Not only did Mammootty not launch his son’s career, Dulquer has never had his father recommend him for a film. “I know I will never be as good as my dad. I don’t think he’s even come to a set of mine ever,” DQ has said on more than one occasion. 

He’s a veteran newcomer: Yes, that’s an oxymoron, but DQ enters Bollywood after having made a mark in almost every south Indian film industry  — Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. Since 2012, he’s almost scored a hit every year, with roles that have won him both big box office and critical acclaim. 

He stars in some of our fave South Indian films: Whether it’s Ustad Hotel or Bangalore Days, Charlie or OK Kanmani, if you have a fave film from the south, chances are it has DQ in it.

He can play all kinds of roles: From the fresh-faced boy-next-door Aditya in OK Kanmani to the passionate chef Faizi who discovers his purpose in life in Ustad Hotel; from the happy-go-lucky Ajju in Bangalore Days to the vagabond Charlie in Charlie. Also, the man can whip up some magical chemistry with his co-stars. Our pick? His pairing with Nithya Menen in OK Kanmani and Parvathy in Bangalore Days. 

He can be a boy as well as a man: There’s something about him that spells both charming boyishness and rugged manly appeal. He works a clean-shaven look as effortlessly as a full beard. Dulquer even rocked long hair in his 2017 film Solo (above). And did we tell you about that disarming smile and that deep voice? He does remind us a lot of Fawad Khan. 

He’s already on to his second film in Bolly: Dulquer has signed on to play Nikhil Khoda opposite Sonam Kapoor’s Zoya Solanki in the film adaptation of the Anuja Chauhan bestseller The Zoya Factor. And given that Dulquer is everything that Nikhil is described to be — intense, charming, a closet romantic — we are excited already!  

He has a sense of humour: Did you watch that episode of Son of Abish, in which Dulquer and Vidya Balan brought the house down with comedian and show host Abish Mathew? We loved that bit where he spoke about the various distortions that are made to his name. “I am called everything from Dalkaar to Dalqueer!”  

He’s more than just a movie star:  Dulquer has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Purdue University. He worked for a while in the US and then set up a consulting firm in Dubai. He has interests in the family business of healthcare and hospitality. 

He’s fun on social media: Unlike many stars whose social media is predominantly about work, DQ’s pages give us an insight into his personal life and his varied interests — cars and bikes to food and fashion. He’s also quite a pro at taking selfies. His social media bio reads, ‘Film, Business, Auto Enthusiast’.

He’s a petrolhead: He’s seen driving a Nano in Karwaan, but Dulquer — like dad Mammootty — is a bonafide petrolhead. He has an array of the biggest and the best — BMW M3 to Polo GT, a modified Triumph Bonneville to a BMW R1200 GS adventure tourer. He’s just added a Porsche Panamera Turbo to his collection. “Cars, driving and road trips are my happy places. No matter how stressed I’m at shoot or on a film, I unwind by going for a drive or by reading up about cars,” he has said in an interview.

He’s a cool dad: Father to one-year-old Maryam, Dulquer often posts fun pictures with his daughter and wife Amal on social media. We love how he proudly posts about Maryam taking to cars early (with a picture of her in a toy car) and the colourful little socks she wears with the caption, ‘Tiny in my hands, big for her feet!’

His fashion is on fleek: Dulquer looks good both in jeans-and-tee and a sharp suit with a bow tie. He’s one of the few men who can perhaps make ankle-length cigarette pants look so good! 

Text: Priyanka Roy 
Dulquer Salmaan will make it big in Bolly because... Tell t2@abp.in