Salute preview: All you need to know about Dulquer Salmaan, Rosshan Andrrews film

The Malayalam industry has gained newfound fame across the country over recent years, largely due to some excellent feature films such as Kumbalangi Nights, Uyare. Take Off, CU Soon, and Joji. Malayalam star Dulquer Salmaan is hoping to add to that list with two releases, Salute and Kurup, announced for 2021. While Kurup is a biopic about one of the most notorious fugitives in Kerala, Salute is expected to be a purely fictional action thriller revolving around a policeman, S.I.Aravind Karunakaran played by Dulquer Salmaan.

Who are the filmmakers?

The film is produced by Dulquer Salmaan’s production company, Wayfarer Films. He has already produced movies such as Varane Avashyamundu and Maniyarayile Ashokan, which were both OTT releases for Netflix. Salute is expected to have a theatrical release followed by an OTT release, which is yet to be confirmed. Rosshan Andrrews has reunited with writers Sanjay and Bobby for the film, which will be their seventh film together. Sanjay and Bobby, sons of actor Prem Prakash, boasts an impressive filmography that includes critically acclaimed films such as Traffic, Ayalum Njanum Thammil, and Uyare, as well as commercial blockbusters such as Casanova and Kayamkulam Kochunni. The film is Rosshan Andrrews’ 11th film. The director made his debut in 2005 in the film Udayananu Tharam starring Mohanlal and written by Sreenivasan, which was a commercial and critical hit. The acclaimed collaboration of Bobby and Sanjay, also known as Bobby-Sanjay, and Rosshan Andrrews have had the fans excited for Salute. If not for the pandemic, the film might have had an earlier release window.

Who are the cast members and what to expect from the film?

As mentioned earlier, Dulquer Salmaan will play the lead in the film as Aravind Karunakaran. Veteran Malayalam actor and Kerala State Award Winner Manoj K Jayan will play the role of Dy.S.P Ajith Karunkaran. Not much has been revealed about Diana Penty’s character, who is expected to have a significant role in the narrative. The film will also feature veterans Saikumar and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy in prominent roles, and Alencier Ley Lopez and Saniya Iyappan in supporting roles. The film’s star power is undeniable, with a great mix of superstars, veterans, and relative newcomers.

The details regarding the plot have been kept close to the vest, but based on the teaser which was was shared on social media platforms, the film is likely to be set in the backdrop of a political conflict in which macho cop, S.I Aravind Karunakaran, is at the eye of the storm. It is likely that Manoj K. Jayan plays the role of the elder brother Ajith, the Deputy Superintendent of Police. Diana Penty could be the stereotypical love interest, but if recent Malayalam films are an indicator, then she could also be a well-written character with a more convincing character arc who has a larger part to play in the overall plot.

When and where to watch?

There have been conflicting reports of a September 9th theatrical release date, which is yet to be officially confirmed and highly likely. A new full trailer with a release date is expected on social media platforms soon. Considering the fact that the state of Kerala is still in partial lockdown, and theatres shut indefinitely, due to the number of active COVID-19 cases, there is a good possibility that the release date will be pushed further, or even an OTT release to be announced sooner than originally envisioned by the filmmakers. The theatre owners in Kerala have faint hopes that the Kerala government would let them open for business by the end of September. If the uncertainty regarding the reopening of cinema halls and theatres continue, a release on a streaming platform might be on the cards for Wayfarer Films.

There could be no arguments that Wayfarer films and Dulquer Salmaan are hoping to end the year with a bang with back-to-back releases including Kurup and Salute. Salmaan who also played roles in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films is set to appear in a Tamil film as well later this year titled, Hey Sinamika, starring alongside Aditi Rao Hydari, and Kajal Aggarwal.