‘Hope I get to do more films with Rashmika Mandanna,’ says Sita Ramam hero and co-star Dulquer Salmaan

He is someone who is known for his superb acting chops having proved his mettle in Malayalam cinema. Being Malayalam superstar Mammootty ’s son, acting runs in his blood and like his father he has moved across boundaries acting in various languages from Hindi to Telugu and Tamil as well. Dulquer Salmaan will now be seen in the Telugu film ‘ _Sita Ramam_ ’ after his successful debut in ‘ _Mahanati_ ’. Essaying the role of Lieutenant Ram in this movie, directed by Hanu Raghavapudi and produced by Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema, the ‘ _Karwaan_ ’ actor looks set to deliver another stellar performance. In this exclusive chat with Firstpost, Dulquer or DQ, as he is known to friends, talks about the film and more. What made you accept the role of Ram in ‘Sita Ramam’? It was the narration by director Hanu Raghavapudi . When Hanu told me the story- and I listen to a lot of scripts – it was unlike anything I had heard before. I found it truly original and I wanted to be a part of it instantly. ‘Sita Ramam’ is all about the story; I think that’s what attracted all of this talent to the film – every single actor that you see in the film is an A-lister in their own right and they have all chosen to be a part of this film because of the story and Hanu’s passion towards telling the story the way he wants to. The director is known for his romantic dramas and you have done such films before. What was unique to this script? I don’t think I have done anything of this epic proportion or vintage. The film and the story are timeless – I think it will outlive the actors and the people who made this film. That’s how special I think it is but I want all of you to gauge it when the film comes out on August 5. Your first film with Rashmika, and you are both natural actors. What was the experience like? I think everyone on this film is a gifted actor, huge talents. Having said that, I love Rashmika ’s energy. She is so switched on all the time – it’s a rare quality. I think she brings a lot of light into people’s lives. She is always positive and happy. I think she lifts people and I hope she always stays the same. It’s a natural joy and I hope we do more films together. And you’ll also see a very different Rashmika in this film which I’m very excited about and proud of. You’re not going to see the smiling, bubbly cute Rashmika in this film – you’re going to see a different side to her. I think that’s one of the reasons why she chose to do this role. Also, a big thanks to her for doing this film – being a lead actor herself to do a supporting role it takes guts. And she has that in spades. Being a Telugu film, how tough was it with the dialogues? Now, I think it has gotten easier. ‘Mahanati’ was challenging because it was the first time. But now I think I’ve found my rhythm and system on how to operate when I do a Telugu film. Having spent so much time here with people, I understand the language a lot easier and if I read my lines, I don’t have doubts on how to pronounce words. As I get more familiar, I want to get to a stage where I can speak the language fluently. I want to voice my thoughts when I speak to people in interviews and I want to do it in Telugu. I wish to do that as soon as possible. The more direct Telugu films I do, I think I’ll get there. So Vyjayanthi, it’s time for the next one! (Smiles)

Now that you are working across languages, do you get a lot more diverse scripts? How do you choose what to work on? I definitely get very interesting films in all languages. I think what I get to do in other languages is the lightly bold, more daring roles. I don’t have a certain image to live up to in other industries (like Malayalam) – it’s like someone completely new doing a role. So I get to experiment with more scripts in other languages. Latha Srinivasan is a senior journalist based in Chennai. Her passion is entertainment, travel, and dogs. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.