‘Lucky’ Dulquer: Fans say actor made right choice by opting for Telugu film over ‘Thug Life’

One of the biggest highlights of Thug Life was that it marked the reunion of Kamal Haasan and director Mani Ratnam after 37 years. With an ensemble cast and music composed by A.R. Rahman, expectations were sky-high, and many predicted it would be among the biggest hits of the year.

However, the film has received a rather lukewarm response, contrary to the pre-release hype. Discussions around Thug Life have been gaining traction on social media, with a particular focus on Malayalam cinema’s beloved star, Dulquer Salmaan.

It has now come to light that Dulquer was originally considered for the role eventually played by Silambarasan (Simbu). In fact, a character poster featuring Dulquer had even been released by the film’s crew during the early stages of promotion. But the actor soon opted out of the project. At the time, many described it as one of the biggest career setbacks for Dulquer.

The trailer, which featured intense scenes between Kamal Haasan and Simbu, only added to the speculation that Dulquer had missed a golden opportunity.

However, now that Thug Life has been released and the reviews are out, public opinion appears to have shifted dramatically. Many viewers now believe that Dulquer’s decision to walk away from the project was the right one.

Instead of Thug Life, Dulquer chose to act in Lucky Baskhar, a film that went on to gross over ₹100 crore worldwide. In addition, he received a Special Jury Mention at the Telangana State Film Awards, further validating his career choices. Taking all this into account, social media users now consider Dulquer to be truly "lucky."

Meanwhile, Dulquer wasn’t the only actor to walk away from Thug Life. Actor Ravi Mohan also opted out, and his role was eventually taken over by Ashok Selvan.