Dulquer Salmaan may be one of the most admired names in Indian cinema today, straddling Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi industries with ease. From romantic dramas like OK Kanmani and Sita Ramam to edgy thrillers like Kurup and Lucky Bhaskar, the actor has consistently proved his versatility. And while his professional life might be brimming with big-ticket projects, it turns out his biggest critics — and his most grounded relationships — are at home.In a interview he gave in 2023, Dulquer opened up about how his legendary father, actor Mammootty, still struggles to understand his son’s work choices and pace. “Dad is funny,” Dulquer laughed, adding, “He still does about five films a year, back to back. And here I am, doing these long, drawn-out projects that take anywhere between eight to ten months. He just can’t wrap his head around why a film should take this long.”In fact, Mammootty’s reactions are so typically fatherly that they’re almost comedic. “He’s told me, ‘If you’re going to do one film a year, don’t bother coming home,’” Dulquer shared with a grin. The friendly father-son banter, however, comes from a place of love and mutual respect, even if their approaches to work differ vastly. While Mammootty continues to be one of the busiest actors in Malayalam cinema. .Interestingly, it’s not just his father who keeps Dulquer grounded. His wife, Amal Sufiya, seems largely unimpressed by the trappings of stardom too. Dulquer revealed that even today, Amal hasn’t fully processed the fact that she’s married to a movie star. “For her, I’m just a guy who goes to work and comes back,” Dulquer said with a smile. “In fact, in the first two-three years of our marriage, if someone came up and asked me for a picture, she’d turn to me and ask, ‘Why do they want a picture with you?’ and I’d have to remind her that I’m an actor.”The actor finds this disconnection rather endearing. “She’s so detached sometimes. For her, she knows what I’m like at home — unfiltered, lazy, and unglamorous. People only see the groomed version of me.”
