Actor Dulquer Salmaan has revealed that he refers to himself as a “retro star”. The Malayalam actor made the light-hearted remark during a promotional event for his upcoming film Kaantha held in Kochi. Dulquer was speaking about how the project came his way, while co-stars Rana Daggubati, Samuthirakani, and leading lady Bhagyashri Borse were also present at the event.

Produced by Dulquer’s own banner, Wayfarer Films, Kaantha is set for release on November 14. The film, directed by Selvamani Selvaraj, has been shot in Tamil and will be released in multiple languages. It also marks Wayfarer Films’ first non-Malayalam production.

The promotional event at Kochi’s Lulu Mall saw a huge turnout of fans who greeted Dulquer with loud cheers. Taking the microphone, the actor first apologised to the crowd, saying his voice had gone hoarse. When host Ranjini Haridas asked him what had happened, Dulquer quipped, “I’ve been shooting for I’M Game.”

“There’s a lot of action and shouting in I Am Game. That’s why I’ve lost my voice,” he explained with a smile. “For the past two years, I’ve mostly been coming home with non-Malayalam projects. I Am Game will make up for that — it’s a film that will meet, or perhaps exceed, your expectations. We’re putting in everything we can to make that happen.”

Dulquer went on to recall that he first heard the script of Kaantha back in 2019. “I’ve been associated with the project for nearly six years now. I remember sitting for about ten hours to listen to the entire story. Language won’t be a barrier for this film — it’s something everyone can be proud of,” he said.

Speaking warmly about co-star and producer Rana Daggubati, Dulquer said, “Rana is like a brother to me. We’ve known each other since our school days, around eighth or ninth standard. We never dreamt of becoming actors or producers back then. This feels like watching an unseen dream come true.”

He also praised veteran actor Samuthirakani, saying, “He’s like a teacher, a mentor, and a father figure. No other co-actor has shown me such affection, respect, and encouragement. He now says he can’t move on to another film after Kaantha.”

According to Dulquer, the film took nearly six years to complete — about six years in writing, five to six months of shooting, and ten months of post-production. “I don’t think any other film has taken this long to make,” he laughed. “If I take another six years for my next one, I’ll be close to fifty by the time it’s done!”

The actor also praised his co-star Bhagyashri Borse, noting that Kaantha was the first film she signed. “Because of our delays, she ended up doing two other films before this. She’s a big star now, and that’s a huge plus for us. But we’ll always say we discovered her first — we’re not giving that credit to anyone else! Audiences will remember her performance and character. She may soon act in Malayalam films too,” he added.

Quoting his father, superstar Mammootty, Dulquer told fans, “As my father once said — buy a ticket and watch it. You’ll definitely like it.”

When asked by the host why he calls himself a “retro star”, Dulquer laughed and explained, “That’s what I call myself. After Mahanati, it took nearly a year for Kaantha to come to me. Rana sent me the story and said it’s something similar in tone. I said no at first — I didn’t want to be typecast as a ‘period retro star’. But Rana insisted that I listen to it once. That’s how Kaantha happened.”