Key Highlights

• Dulquer Salmaan called co-actor Kathir a "born talent" and revealed he is a fan.
• Kathir plays the captain of a cricket team in 'I'm Game'.
• The film has been cleared with a UA 16+ certificate by the censor board.
• 'I'm Game' releases worldwide on September 3 in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada.
• The film completed a 156-day shoot across more than 100 locations in South India.

Pan-Indian star Dulquer Salmaan delivered one of the warmest, most generous public tributes any co-actor could hope to receive on Tuesday. Speaking at the pre-release event of his eagerly awaited action entertainer 'I'm Game' in Chennai, Dulquer called his co-actor Kathir a "born talent" — and openly declared himself a fan of the Tamil actor's craft. For fans of both stars, and for anyone who appreciates warm, gracious moments between performers who genuinely respect each other's work, the evening was a beautiful reminder of what film industry camaraderie can look like at its best.

For a film that is already generating strong anticipation ahead of its September 3 worldwide release, the pre-release event delivered exactly the kind of warm, memorable moment that pre-release promotions are designed to create.

The Tribute That Set the Tone

Participating in the pre-release event of 'I'm Game' in Chennai, Dulquer Salmaan turned toward Kathir with a compliment that carried genuine emotional weight.

"Kathir bro, I'm such a fan. What do you say, a born talent you are!" Dulquer said.

Then, turning to the audience, he expanded on exactly what he admired about Kathir's craft. "Every time he performs, I find it so subtle and so intense. It doesn't look like he puts any effort. It looks so effortless," Dulquer added.

That's the kind of description every actor dreams of receiving from a peer. Effortlessness in performance is often the hardest quality to achieve — it typically emerges only from deep craft, thoughtful preparation and a natural instinct for character. For Dulquer to publicly recognise that quality in Kathir speaks volumes about the mutual respect that has clearly built between them during their work together on 'I'm Game'.

The Cricket Captain Anxiety

The evening also had its warm, self-deprecating moments — most memorably from Kathir himself, who plays the captain of a cricket team in the film.

Kathir had earlier lamented, in a lighter vein, that he hadn't played proper cricket ever before and that the director had shown immense courage by trusting him to play a cricket team captain in the film. He even joked that he was "retiring from cricket after this film."

When the anchor asked why he was saying that and why his co-actors seated in the audience were laughing, Kathir explained with a warm smile, "This is like a legacy. I cannot play any better than what I have in this film."

He then shared a deeply relatable behind-the-scenes moment. "After director Nahas had narrated this script to me, I thought to myself, 'Goodness gracious!'. I told Nahas, 'I would have played cricket a maximum of four times in my entire life and that too, whatever cricket I played was in school. Even more significantly, it was pad cricket.'"

Kathir went on to add, laughingly, "A director can have courage and take risks but not to this extent."

That's the kind of honest, self-aware humour that endears an actor to audiences. It shows a performer willing to laugh at himself even while embracing a challenging role.

Dulquer's Warm Reassurance

Responding to Kathir's honest confession about his cricket background, Dulquer offered an equally warm reassurance about the final result on screen.

"You might think your cricket is not good, but you're phenomenal in the film. You're absolutely convincing as our captain," Dulquer said.

That kind of public reassurance from a co-actor is exactly the kind of professional generosity that reflects healthy creative partnerships. It shows that beyond the camaraderie visible on stage, there is genuine mutual appreciation between the two performers for what each brought to the film.

The Film Is Ready for Release

Adding to the excitement of the pre-release event, the censor board has officially cleared 'I'm Game' for release with a UA 16+ certificate.

Wayfarer Films, the production house behind the film, took to its social media timelines to share the update.

"No more waiting around—the dice have rolled! I'M GAME has bagged its U/A 16+ certificate and is officially theater-bound. Bookings open at 5 PM," the studio wrote.

That's the kind of confident, direct announcement that signals a film ready to meet its audiences with pride.

The Release Date Story

For those following the film's journey, 'I'm Game' was originally scheduled to hit screens worldwide on August 20 this year. The makers chose to postpone the release to September 3 — a decision that Dulquer explained in a thoughtful public statement.

Acknowledging the anticipation around the film, Dulquer had said, "The game gets bigger. The release gets wider. We understand the anticipation and we apologize for the delay, but #imgame will now release worldwide on 3rd September, moving from its earlier release date of 20th August."

He continued, "The new release date comes with a larger vision for the film as #imgame gears up for a wider theatrical release across markets. The film will now simultaneously release in multiple languages — Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada taking the experience to audiences across the country and beyond."

Dulquer closed the statement with a memorable line. "This decision has been made to give #imgame the scale, reach, and theatrical platform it truly deserves, allowing audiences across different markets to experience it on the big screen. The wait gets a little longer, But the game gets bigger!"

That kind of transparent, thoughtful communication around a release date shift is exactly what modern audiences appreciate. It respects the anticipation of fans while clearly explaining the strategic thinking behind the change.

The Ambitious Scale of the Film

Directed by Nahas Hidhayath, 'I'm Game' has been mounted on a genuinely ambitious scale. Perhaps most notably, the film marks Dulquer Salmaan's return to Malayalam cinema — an event that fans of the actor have been waiting for with considerable anticipation.

The film completed an extensive 11-month shooting schedule spanning 156 days — a substantial commitment even by big-scale production standards. Filming took place across more than 100 locations in South India, giving the film a visual and geographic scope that promises to translate powerfully to the big screen.

The Ensemble Cast

'I'm Game' features an exciting ensemble cast that brings together talents from across South Indian cinema.

The cast includes Antony Varghese, Mysskin, Kayadu Lohar, Kathir, Parth Tiwari and Samyuktha Viswanathan. That combination of established names and emerging talents — spanning multiple language industries — reflects the film's pan-Indian ambition and its commitment to bringing together some of the finest performers currently working across the South.

The Technical Team

The technical team behind 'I'm Game' further reinforces the film's ambition.

Jakes Bejoy has composed the music — a composer whose work has become synonymous with high-energy, emotionally resonant scores across multiple recent Indian films. Action sequences have been choreographed by Anbariv Masters — one of the most respected action choreography teams in Indian cinema today, known for their sharp, cinematic, technically excellent work.

The film has been produced by Dulquer Salmaan and Jom Varghese under Wayfarer Films — a production banner that has consistently backed distinctive, ambitious projects.

Why It Matters

Pre-release events are more than just promotional exercises. They are opportunities for cast and crew to publicly celebrate each other's contributions, share the emotional journey of making the film, and give fans a real sense of the human relationships that have shaped the project.

Dulquer's warm tribute to Kathir did exactly that. It transformed a routine pre-release event into a memorable moment of professional appreciation. And in doing so, it added something meaningful to the emotional world of the film ahead of its release.

For audiences preparing to watch 'I'm Game' from September 3, that emotional context matters. Films always land more powerfully when audiences know that the people who made them genuinely appreciate each other's work.

Industry Impact

For Kathir, receiving such a public tribute from a pan-Indian star like Dulquer Salmaan is a meaningful career moment. It reinforces his growing reputation as one of the most compelling Tamil actors of his generation and expands his visibility with audiences across multiple South Indian language markets.

For Dulquer, the moment reinforces his reputation as one of the industry's most gracious, generous senior actors — someone who consistently uses his platform to celebrate the craft of his collaborators rather than centring the spotlight on himself.

For 'I'm Game' as a project, the tribute adds another layer of warmth to the film's promotional narrative — reminding audiences that behind the scale, action and ambition sits a genuinely collaborative creative team that respects each other deeply.

Cultural Impact

For South Indian cinema more broadly, moments like Tuesday's Chennai event reflect the increasingly rich cross-language creative exchange that defines the industry today. A Malayalam-Kannada-Tamil-Telugu-Hindi simultaneous release. A pan-Indian star working with an ensemble cast drawn from across the region. A pre-release event in Chennai celebrating actors from different language traditions.

That kind of creative interconnection is part of what makes South Indian cinema one of the most exciting spaces in Indian filmmaking today.

The Bigger Picture

'I'm Game' is heading into its September 3 worldwide release with everything it needs to make a strong impact. A returning pan-Indian star in Dulquer Salmaan. A talented ensemble cast including Antony Varghese, Mysskin, Kayadu Lohar, Kathir, Parth Tiwari and Samyuktha Viswanathan. A director in Nahas Hidhayath with ambitious creative vision. A technical team including Jakes Bejoy on music and Anbariv Masters on action. A production banner in Wayfarer Films known for backing meaningful cinema. A CBFC certification in hand. A simultaneous release across five major Indian languages.

And now, adding one more warm note to the film's launch narrative, a beautiful public tribute from Dulquer Salmaan to Kathir that captures exactly the kind of collaborative spirit that great cinema is built on.

For fans of Dulquer, Kathir, Nahas Hidhayath and the entire cast and crew of 'I'm Game', September 3 now becomes a marked date on the calendar. And when the film opens in cinemas across the world in the coming days, audiences will step into a project that has clearly been built with ambition, craft and — as Tuesday's Chennai event so warmly reminded everyone — deep mutual respect between the artists who brought it to life.

Because as Dulquer Salmaan so generously reminded the industry on Tuesday, the greatest compliment one performer can give another is to look at their work and simply say — you are a born talent, and I am a fan.

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