Cult actor Zaid Khan rejected an offer to work with Dulquer Salmaan; here’s why

Zaid Khan says he gets the most film offers from Malayalam, but he’s not taken up any because he has a certain vision for his career. His second film Cult releases on January 23, 2026

Zaid Khan on why he rejected film with Dulquer

Zaid Khan is only a film old and awaiting the release of his sophomore movie, Cult, an intense, action-packed love story that hits theatres on January 23, 2026. Cult comes a little over 3 years after his debut Banaras, but even though he’s been making slow and steady steps in the film industry, Zaid says that he has a clear vision about how his trajectory should shape up. Stardom he says, is his ultimate goal, and he’s not looking at being limited to Kannada cinema. He wants to be known as a superstar from Karnataka.

Why Zaid is rejecting offers from Malayalam film industry

For this, though, Zaid is not looking at doing films in other industries. In a promotional interview with Kairam Vaashi for Cult, the actor claimed that he gets a lot of film offers from Malayalam. “Recently, I got an offer for a film with Dulquer Salmaan, but I rejected it. I made it clear to them that I would only do it if it is made in Kannada and then dubbed in other languages. But then they said that it would not be possible because if it is made as a Kannada film, they will not be able to sell rights, including OTT,” said Zaid, adding that this situation is the fault of the Kannada film industry.

Also read: Cult actor Zaid Khan: Audiences will be surprised with some of the sequences in the film

Cult pairs Zaid with Upadhyaksha and Vidyapati fame Malaika Vasupal and Rachita Ram, both of who, especially the latter, are far more experienced than him. But Zaid says that he was never intimidated in their presence and was, instead, striving to match their performance, which he saw as an exciting challenge. The Anil Kumar directorial has the actor in several sequences that he thinks will have a shock value for audiences.

Were there instances when he told the filmmaker to tone down anything? “For sure, there were scenes that were written with extensive detailing, which I thought were a tad too much. For instance, I am not against intimacy in cinema, but it has to be within limits and aesthetically shot, because I do not want to alienate family audiences. As long as we convey to audiences the intention of the scene, we don’t have to explicitly show it,” he adds.

Cult FAQs

Q. Who is the hero of the Kannada film Cult?

A. Zaid Khan, the son of Karnataka politician Zameer Ahmed Khan, is the hero of Cult. This is Zaid's second film as a leading man, after Banaras.

Q. Where to watch the Kannada film Cult?

A. The Kannada film Cult will release in theatres on January 23, 2026. The Anil Kumar directorial stars Zaid Khan along with Upadhyaksha and Vidyapati fame Malaika Vasupal and Rachita Ram.

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