Actor and producer Dulquer Salmaan will headline “Kaantha,” which will be produced by him alongside “Baahubali” star Rana Daggubati.
The film will be directed by Selvamani Selvaraj, whose debut feature “Nila” (2016) won the audience award at the Cinequest San Jose Film Festival. Selvaraj’s documentary series “The Hunt for Veerappan” is set to release on Netflix on August 4. The filmmaker also assisted the Ang Lee on “Life of Pi.”
Plot details for “Kaantha” are under wraps save that Salmaan will be showcased in a “never seen before role.” The project was revealed on the occasion of Salmaan’s birthday.
Salmaan will produce via his Wayfarer Films and Daggubati through Spirit Media.
Though hailing from the Kerala-based Malayalam-language film industry, Salmaan is a rare breed in Indian cinema in that he has equal felicity in multiple languages. A superstar of Malayalam-language cinema with hits including “Kurup” (2021) and “Bangalore Days” (2014), Salmaan is also known for Tamil-language success “O Kadhal Kanmani” (2015) and Hindi-language “Karwaan” (2018). His 2022 release “Sita Ramam” was a hit across its Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi-language versions. His last release was the Hindi-language Bollywood film “Chup” (2022).
Salmaan stars in Raj & DK’s upcoming Netflix series “Guns & Gulaabs.”
“Kaantha” will be released in the Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil languages.
Salmaan said: “‘Kaantha’ is extremely close to my heart and I’ve been eager to bring this to life from the day I heard the story as it’s unlike anything we’ve seen in Indian cinema. To produce this along with Spirit Media and to perform one of the most challenging roles in my career is definitely an exciting journey that I am looking forward to.”
Daggubati added: “At Spirit Media, we are always on the lookout for unique but universally appealing stories and ‘Kaantha’ undoubtedly fits that vision. Collaborating with Dulquer and Wayfarer Films and having a brilliant director Selvamani Selvaraj on board is truly rewarding, and for my friend Dulquer this is a delightful gift from the team to celebrate his birthday, with millions of his fans.”
Selvaraj said: “The story of ‘Kaantha’ is brought to screen with the conviction of two people I deeply admire and respect, Rana Daggubati and Dulquer Salmaan. The centrepiece of the film is the acting prowess of Dulquer and I am honored to weave this dream with someone as talented and rooted as him.”
