"You can blame me": Dulquer Salmaan defends Wayfarer Films
Dulquer Salmaan takes responsibility for the box office underperformance of 'I'm Game' and defends his production house, Wayfarer Films.
Actor Dulquer Salmaan has stepped up to defend his production house, Wayfarer Films, following the underwhelming box office performance of his latest film, I'm Game. In a rare moment of public accountability, the actor stated that he would take full responsibility for the film's shortcomings rather than letting his team face the brunt of the criticism.
A response to fan criticism
The controversy erupted on social media after a fan posted a detailed thread on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that production errors within Wayfarer Films were the primary reason for the film's failure. The fan claimed that while the production house sometimes loses control of projects, this specific instance was a result of "pure mistakes" from the production side.
Responding directly to the fan, Dulquer Salmaan acknowledged the validity of the critique but highlighted the immense complexity involved in filmmaking. He noted that even when every internal process is executed correctly, external circumstances can still lead to an unsuccessful outcome.
The complexity of filmmaking
The actor emphasized that a film is not a simple academic formula that can be predicted with certainty. He pointed out the massive scale of human effort required to bring a cinematic vision to life.
"I read through it. I’m not saying you were wrong in your analysis. You were mostly right. And trust me we are aware of all of it. But there are just times when from our end we can do everything right. But outside factors or other circumstances can turn those upside down. It’s easy to analyse an end product or result. But it takes 2-300 people to make a film. It’s never easy. Never simple. And never something you can apply formulae or academics to," Dulquer Salmaan wrote.
Standing by his team
In a show of solidarity with his colleagues, Salmaan made it clear that he would not abandon his production team despite the backlash. He argued that no entity in world cinema sets out to produce a bad film or make mistakes, but the nature of the industry involves managing a vast network of internal and external teams.
"I’ll always stand by my team and if you want to blame someone, you can blame me," the actor declared, reinforcing his commitment to his crew.
I'm Game, directed by Nahas Hidhayath, marked Dulquer Salmaan's highly anticipated return to Malayalam cinema after a three-year hiatus. Released in theatres on September 3, the film features an ensemble cast including Kayadu Lohar, Mysskin, Antony Varghese, Samyuktha Viswanathan, Vinay Forrt, and Kathir.