‘Indian 2’, ‘Thug Life’, ‘Parasakthi’: Fans say Dulquer Salmaan made the right call by stepping away

Dulquer Salmaan’s career choices and his habit of quietly stepping away from certain projects have always sparked chatter. But with a string of recently released films failing at the box office while Dulquer continues to notch up successes, social media is now wondering if the actor has an uncanny ability to spot trouble early. More than luck, it appears to be a sharp instinct for scripts, something that has repeatedly worked in Dulquer’s favour. As high-profile Tamil films like ‘Indian 2’, ‘Thug Life’, and ‘Parasakthi’ struggle to make an impact, fans are praising his foresight in walking away from these projects.

Dulquer was initially approached for a key role in Kamal Haasan’s big-budget ‘Indian 2’, but he chose to opt out due to scheduling conflicts. ‘Thug Life’ too had Dulquer attached in its early stages. The Mani Ratnam–Kamal Haasan reunion after 37 years was one of the film’s biggest talking points, and the role eventually played by Simbu was first offered to Dulquer. The makers had even released a character poster featuring him.

When Dulquer exited the project citing date issues, many believed he had missed out on a major career moment. But the narrative flipped after the film’s release. Instead of ‘Thug Life’, Dulquer went on to headline ‘Lucky Bhaskar’, which entered the ₹100-crore club and earned him a special mention at the Telangana State Awards for Best Actor in Telugu.

A similar story played out with ‘Parasakthi’, directed by Sudha Kongara. Initially planned as ‘Suriya 43’ with Suriya in the lead, the film was also meant to star Dulquer Salmaan, Nazriya Nazim, and Vijay Varma. Date clashes saw Suriya step away first, followed by Dulquer and Nazriya. The film was eventually completed with Sivakarthikeyan, Atharvaa Murali, Sreeleela, and Jayam Ravi, but its release was met with largely disappointing responses.

With ‘Parasakthi’, ‘Thug Life’, and ‘Indian 2’ drawing criticism online for weak writing and a lack of emotional depth, fans are now arguing that Dulquer is genuinely astute when it comes to choosing his projects. Some have even jokingly dubbed him “the real Illuminati.” Social media conversations suggest that Suriya, Dulquer, and Nazriya stepping away from the film may have turned out to be some of the smartest decisions of their careers.

According to online buzz, Dulquer’s refusal to chase big banners or star-heavy combinations, and his insistence on putting the script first, continues to steer him from one success to the next.