Young actor Dulquer Salmaan shares some interesting details about his father, mega star Mammootty’s routine during the lockdown period. Dulquer was speaking to his young fans in ‘Chit Chat with DQ’ organized by Malayala Manorama and Manorama Online in association with Hero Xtreme 160.
Mammootty’s challenge
Dulquer said that more than him, Mammootty had been busy, working non -stop before the lockdown was announced. However, the actor joked that Mammootty now was trying to create a personal record of sitting at home for the most number of days. According to him the screen icon hasn’t stepped out of his house for the past 150 days. Mammootty is someone who enjoys constantly challenging himself. “He is trying to see how long can he stay inside like this. I tell him to go out for a short drive. However, he is adamant that he wouldn’t step out of the house. He wants to push to the maximum as he has been patiently waiting for so long. I ask him whether he was trying to create a world record. But he really enjoys personal challenges like this. So, it has ‘escalated’ to a competition now. But, I don’t think I can do that. I love going out at the first opportunity that I would get,” says Dulquer.
Super heroes
Dulquer says women outnumber men in his house. With his mother, wife Amal, daughter Mariyam and paternal grandmother, the house always brims with the infectious energy of these women. “My mother and Amal are alike; they are very kind and caring to everyone. They are good at multi tasking too. Men can do only one thing at a time. But women aren’t like that, as they can do many things. So, the women in my house are the real super heroes here. After Mariyam was born, I am seeing Amal as a mother as well. It is not easy taking care of a three-year-old. It is only now that I am spending so much time with my daughter. It really requires a lot of energy to look after a kid. From the moment Mariyam wakes up at 7.30 am and goes to sleep at 9.30 pm, Amal has the energy to play and run around with her. I often wonder how she gets the energy to do all these. Even I do not spend so much energy shooting for an entire day,” notes Dulquer.
Love for cars
The actor loves restoring old cars with renewed features. He even enjoys knowing about such amazing creations. He admits that he vehemently follows such unique automobile inventions that are not usually seen here. “Many vehicles that I had seen on the roads, as a kid, aren’t used anymore. Those cars may be resting in a corner, covered in dust as no one is interested in using them. I love retrieving those vehicles and giving it a new life. Like people, vehicles too have many tales to tell. I often wonder who must have owned the vehicle or who used to drive them. I enjoy tracing such amazing stories as well. This in fact is my hobby. It is always great to have a hobby. I may be exposed to many negative thoughts, especially in my field of work. Some people may even talk negatively about us. You could overcome such negative thoughts if you are engaged in a good hobby. I like reading about vehicles or watching videos of it. For me, it indeed is a positive distraction. It helped me even during the lockdown period,” explains the actor.
Ordinary kid
“Though I was curious to try my hands at acting, I didn’t have the wish to become famous as I had observed how difficult it was to handle all the attention, whenever I had gone out with my father. It would be a problem especially if you are someone who likes privacy. You just cannot enjoy some quite moments in a quaint tea shop! Things were easier for me as I grew up in Chennai. I used to travel on the city buses there. I love silently enjoying a good tea from the tea shops. My mother never raised us as celebrity kids. We led a common life, which we still have. Those who do not see us personally may think that we lead a very different lifestyle. But they would understand that we too are common folks, after talking to us,” Dulquer signs off.
