It’s undeniable that the underwhelming performance of director Abhilash Joshiy’s gangster film King of Kotha affected actor Dulquer Salmaan and his aspirations to enhance his stardom as a pan-India star. While Dulquer’s Malayalam projects have seen significant gaps in recent years, he has sought to fill those by taking on roles in films in other languages. However, since the release of King of Kotha about 14 months ago, he has only appeared in one film, director Nag Ashwin’s Prabhas-starrer Kalki 2898 AD, and that too in just a cameo role.

As he gears up for the release of his upcoming film, director Venky Atluri’s Lucky Baskhar, Dulquer recently revealed that health issues played a role in his limited film output over the past year. “I needed a short break. It’s nobody’s fault; some films fell through. I also faced health issues. Last year, I was able to do only one film. Perhaps that was my fault; I didn’t pay enough attention to my health,” he said during a promotional interview.

Dulquer Salmaan also spoke highly of his father, Malayalam megastar Mammootty, noting that the legendary actor has appeared in over 400 films in his five-decade career. Dulquer further emphasised that even at 73, his father remains fixated on cinema. “My father is always thinking about his characters and movies, even when he’s at home. One day, he suddenly snapped his fingers and said, ‘I got it.’ I asked what, and he replied, ‘My character.’ He was talking about the movie he was going to start shooting in a few weeks. He has a one-track mind,” Dulquer added.

Looking back at his early days in the industry, Dulquer admitted that he was unsure about having a lasting acting career. “My big question when I became an actor was, will I get a second film, a third film? How long will I last? Will people be able to watch me for two hours? These were the big questions I had,” he said.

Also starring Meenakshi Chaudhary, Hyper Aadi and Surya Sreenivas, Lucky Baskhar’s cinematography, editing and music have been handled by Nimish Ravi, Naveen Nooli and GV Prakash Kumar, respectively. The movie will hit the screens on October 31.