Aishwarya Lekshmi Says King of Kotha Backlash Made Her Hesitant to Work With Dulquer Salmaan Again

Aishwarya Lekshmi has opened up about the lasting impact of the backlash surrounding King of Kotha, revealing that the online criticism affected her confidence to such an extent that she once felt she could not work with Dulquer Salmaan again.

The actor discussed the experience in a conversation with television presenter Ranjini Haridas on her YouTube channel. Looking back at the response to the 2023 Malayalam gangster drama, Aishwarya said the criticism did not end with the film’s release and continued to influence how she viewed her own performances and professional choices.

Aishwarya Lekshmi Says King of Kotha Trolling Affected Her Confidence

King of Kotha, directed by Abhilash Joshiy, arrived in 2023 with considerable expectations, particularly because it starred Dulquer Salmaan in the lead. Aishwarya played a prominent role in the film, but said the criticism surrounding the movie also targeted her acting and dialogue delivery.

“King of Kotha came amid huge hype in 2023. But after that, it felt like the Malayalam industry was afraid to cast me anymore. Not just me; Dulquer and the film’s crew also faced trolls. My acting and dialogue delivery were all trolled. But many times, I have also felt that what they say is right,” she said.

Her comments suggest that the criticism became more than an external reaction to a film’s performance. Aishwarya said she began internalising some of the negative comments, which subsequently affected her confidence.

‘Rajuvetta’ Joke on Hello Mummy Sets Stayed With Her

Aishwarya also recalled an incident from the sets of Hello Mummy in 2024 that brought those memories back.

In King of Kotha, her character addressed Dulquer’s character as “Rajuvetta”. The way she delivered the dialogue became a subject of online mockery, according to the actor. She said the issue resurfaced when an assistant director on Hello Mummy made fun of the way she had addressed Dulquer.

“Many people made fun of me for the way I called Dulquer ‘Rajuvetta’ in the film. It hurt me deeply when an assistant director (AD) called me that and made fun of me during the shooting of Hello Mummy (2024). Like that, many things happened,” Aishwarya recalled.

For the actor, the incident appears to have reinforced how deeply the earlier trolling had affected her.

Aishwarya Considered Avoiding Projects With Dulquer

Aishwarya further revealed that she was later scheduled to work with Dulquer on an advertisement. By then, however, she had become concerned that another project featuring the two actors could invite a fresh wave of criticism.

She said she even warned the advertising team that the backlash could potentially affect the brand as well.

“After that, I had an ad shoot coming up with Dulquer. But I told the team, ‘The repercussions have been terrible; it will be trouble for you.’ I don’t think I can work with Dulquer anymore. Such trolls have affected me that much,” she said.

Her remarks underline the extent to which public criticism can influence an actor’s professional confidence, particularly when comments surrounding one project continue to carry over into subsequent opportunities.

Dulquer Salmaan and Aishwarya Lekshmi’s King of Kotha

King of Kotha marked Abhilash Joshiy’s directorial debut and featured Dulquer Salmaan alongside Aishwarya Lekshmi, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Prasanna, Gokul Suresh, Nyla Usha and Chemban Vinod Jose.

The film was positioned as a large-scale Malayalam action drama and generated substantial attention before release because of its cast and production scale.

According to the figures cited by Sacnilk, King of Kotha was reportedly made on a budget of around Rs 50 crore and recorded a worldwide gross of approximately Rs 31.35 crore. Box-office figures can vary between tracking services, so these numbers are best treated as reported industry estimates rather than audited financial statements.

Aishwarya’s latest comments provide a more personal perspective on the film’s aftermath, showing that the experience was not simply about a movie receiving negative reactions. For her, the trolling became something that affected her confidence and even made her question future collaborations with one of Malayalam cinema’s biggest stars.