Lokah Chapter One: Chandra, backed by Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films, continues its unstoppable run in theatres and has now officially become the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever.

Dulquer Salmaan, son of legendary actor Mammootty, appears to be on a roll in 2025. Whether as a producer with Lokah or as an actor, his momentum is clear. His much-hyped upcoming film Kaantha — a period drama thriller — is generating significant buzz. The film stars Dulquer alongside Bhagyashri Borse and Samuthirakani, and is expected to hit theatres soon.

As Dulquer advances steadily in the film industry, so does his production venture. One of the most anticipated projects under his banner is Kaantha, directed by Selvamani Selvaraj. The film is jointly produced by Dulquer’s Wayfarer Films and Telugu star Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media.

Rana Daggubati on Casting Dulquer in ‘Kaantha’

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Rana spoke highly of Dulquer and his role in Kaantha. Reflecting on the casting process, the Telugu superstar said:

“Each story decides who its actor is in some manner, and everyone is right for a certain role. And I think if you're trying to be a producer of a film, it's about finding the best for that story. The second I heard the story of Kaantha, I didn't see anyone but Dulquer in it. So I was like, if he wasn’t in it, we probably wouldn’t have made the film.”

Dulquer Opens Up About ‘Kaantha’

What has particularly caught cinephiles' attention is Dulquer’s candid revelation about Kaantha during a promotional interview for Lokah. His words about the project have since gone viral online.

As per reports, Kaantha was initially scheduled for a September release, but has now been postponed. Dulquer himself confirmed the change, attributing it to the overwhelming success of Lokah.

“We had initially planned to release Kaantha by mid-September. But none of us expected Lokah to become such a huge success. So we felt it was only fair to give the film some breathing space. We didn’t want any new release to disrupt its run,” he said.

“The film is going to be noticed — just like Lokah,” the actor added confidently.

Describing Kaantha as a “clutter-breaker”, Dulquer stressed that the film was never intended to be ordinary.

“The way we shot it was also very different from regular films. Even during the editing stage, we keep discovering new elements each day. Give us just two more days and we’ll still find something new to improve. That’s the kind of project this is.”

He also revealed that he first heard the concept of Kaantha in 2019, and has been closely involved in its development for the past six years.

“As a team, we’ve been discussing and shaping this project for a long time. The subject is something we’ve always felt strongly about. At no point did it feel like a routine film to us,” he explained.

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Dulquer Salmaan in 'Kaantha'. | Screengrab/X

A Period Thriller Set in 1950s Madras

Kaantha is set against the evocative backdrop of 1950s Madras, and is said to incorporate elements of horror. Interestingly, it also marks Wayfarer Films’ first non-Malayalam production. Though primarily shot in Tamil, the film will also release in Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi.

As anticipation builds, fans are eager to see how Kaantha will contribute to Dulquer’s already impressive filmography — and whether it will indeed live up to the promise of being a true "clutter-breaker" in Indian cinema.