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Actor and producer Dulquer Salmaan responded on X on October 7 to a fan's post analysing the box office underperformance of his latest Malayalam film I'm Game, after the user attributed some of the film's problems to his production house, Wayfarer Films. The post made by the fan has since been taken down.
I'm Game saw Salmaan's return to acting in Malayalam films after 2023's King of Kotha, and a brief appearance in the hit 2025 supernatural fantasy Lokah Chapter One: Chandra, both of which were backed by Salmaan's Wayfarer Films in various production capacities. The film had an underwhelming box office run after its September 3 theatrical release. The fantasy action film, which received mixed reviews, grossed nearly ₹47.94 crore, a little more than half of its reported ₹80 crore budget.
The actor replied to the post on X, sharing that he had read through the user's post and agreed with most of the points raised. He explained that a film's production involves 200 to 300 people, calling the process difficult and unpredictable, and said it cannot be reduced to a fixed formula.
"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."
The actor went on to note that an underwhelming final product is never the aim of a banner or an actor, and that outcomes do not always match intentions, given the number of internal and external teams involved in a production. "No production house or actor in world cinema intends to make mistakes or a bad film. In life has everything gone the way you intended ? So imagine an entity that operates with an internal team and multiple external teams."
Salmaan concluded that regardless, he would continue to stand by his team and will himself take responsibility for any shortcomings of his projects. He wrote, "I’ll always stand by my team and if you want to blame someone you can blame me."
I'm Game, directed by Nahas Hidhayath, starred Salmaan alongside Kayadu Lohar, Mysskin, Antony Varghese, Samyuktha Vishwanathan, Vinay Forrt and Kathir. Salmaan produced the film through Wayfarer Films. The film opened to mixed reviews and underperformed commercially following its release.