I’d love to do a Kannada film: Gulshan Devaiah

Actor Gulshan Devaiah has proven his mettle time and again with his versatile performances. But, he doesn’t “think too much about success and failures”. The Dahaad actor tells us, “I don’t know what lies ahead. [It’s like] I’m on an endless river, rowing a boat. Maybe I’ll get tired one day and get off the boat. But, I’d like the future to be a bit surprising. That’s something I concern myself with.”

What remains on his bucket list, though, is a Kannada film. Devaiah, born and brought up in Bengaluru, reveals that he was offered one before the pandemic, but it didn’t materialise. “Filmmaker Rishab Shetty met me over a plate of masala dosa and pitched me a film titled Rudraprayag. Everything was in place, but then the pandemic happened. If the chance ever comes again or if Rishab Shetty approaches me, I’d love to do a Kannada film,” shares the actor, who started his journey with Bengaluru theatre. The 45-year-old says, “There is a vibrant theatre culture here, especially in Kannada and English languages. Not just that, the audiences have grown and evolved, too.”

From his theatre days to making a mark in the film industry and OTT, Devaiah has come a long way. The actor, who will be seen in Raj & DK’s crime caper soon, feels that the genre is “doing really well currently across platforms.” He reasons, “Perhaps it is one of the most versatile genres as you can [combine] romance, comedy, realism and action.”

Some of his most notable performances, lately, have been in web projects. Ask what he feels about the ongoing debate around content and language on OTT and he says, “It’s subjective. What you find inappropriate may not be inappropriate to somebody else. You have to see things in the right context. But sometimes, people do get carried away with their freedom [of expression]. Sincerity for your art is the most important.”