From Mollywood to Bollywood: Here's a look at Dulquer Salmaan's tryst with acting

In 2012, a young boy caught the attention of movie-goers with his authentic screen presence in a debut film. Six years ago, Dulquer Salmaan was not a popular name. But with his astonishing performance in the movie Second Show, the young actor managed to grab the attention of movie-goers and Mollywood alike.

It was not surprising for Dulquer to win the heart of Malayalees. After all, he had the best mentor for acting in his father, Mammootty, who is arguably one of the biggest stars in South Indian cinema. The admirable journey of Mammootty as a versatile actor over 4 decades in the film industry had a sizeable impact on the affection garnered by his son.

Though it was not easy for the actor to maintain a sustainable career graph. Despite being Mammootty's son, his constant efforts and immense capacities are apparent while reviewing his career graph.

Being the son of a megastar in the Malayalam film industry, he could have chosen the easy path to stardom with the best of directors and producers and starred opposite a fan favorite female lead. Instead, the young actor chose the path less traveled.

Not only was his debut film a small budget venture, but it also was a debut for director Srinath Rajendran and actress Gautami Nair. The movie garnered positive reviews, with Dulquer's performance making him massively popular among fans.

Amal Neerad's directorial segment "Kullante Bharya" in the anthology film, 5 Sundharikal, showcased Dulquer's acting ability. In the movie, the story of a young couple expecting a child is viewed through the perspective of a wheelchair-bound paralyzed man on a balcony, portrayed by Dulquer.

With subsequent projects, the actor managed to make a name for himself in Mollywood in the years that followed. Some of his most notable works include Anjali Menon's Bangalore Days (2014), Renjith's movie Njaan (2014), Mani Ratnam's O Kadhal Kanmani (2015), Rajeev Ravi's Kammattipadam (2016) and the recently released Mahanati.

Dulquer has made an impact on the Malayalam film industry with his versatile acting and the fresh new characters he portrayed on screen. After the box office hit of O Kadhal Kanmani, Dulquer became an iconic figure in South Indian cinema. Subsequently, his stunning performance in the 2015 romantic drama Charlie caused him to win the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor.

He went on to explore acting with movies in Tamil and Telugu despite the strong competition among actors in the regional film industries in South India. The young actor's screen presence and performance garnered him a wider fan base.

Dulquer Salmaan is all set to make his debut in Bollywood with Karwaan, starring alongside veteran actor Irrfan Khan and debutant Mithila Palkar. He has also signed up for Abhishek Sharma's movie adaptation of Anuja Chauhan's novel The Zoya Factor.

 Dulquer Salmaan's interesting journey from Mollywood to Tamil and Telugu film industries has established him as a strong actor who is open to experimenting with diverse roles. All set to make his debut in Bollywood with a rich filmography, will the young actor give established B-town stars a run for their money?