After more than a decade in Hindi cinema, Gulshan Devaiah is now making his mark in the south. Fresh from his Kannada debut in Kantara: Chapter 1, he is currently shooting for his Telugu debut with Samantha Ruth Prabhu in Nandini Reddy’s Maa Inti Bangaram, and a Tamil film with R Madhavan. In a recent interview with Hyderabad Times, he talks about the chance encounters that shaped his career and the hard work he’s putting in across different film industries. He is focused on getting his Telugu accent right and is excited about the rise of cross-regional films.
‘I’ve always wanted to work with Samantha’A light-hearted moment online is what unexpectedly opened a new door for Gulshan in Tollywood. “During an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on social media, someone asked if I would do a Telugu film,” he recalls. “I joked that I’d only do one if Samantha said yes.” He adds, “Samantha and I already knew each other through mutual connections. A few months ago, Raj Nidimoru sir called to say he wanted to do a film with me and mentioned that Samantha was involved since it was her home production. They narrated the story and my role, and everything immediately felt right. I’ve always wanted to work with Samantha, and having worked with Raj sir earlier on Guns and Gulaabs, the collaboration felt natural.”
‘I first visited Hyderabad for a play in 2005, and I’ve loved the city ever since’Gulshan’s earliest memories of Hyderabad go back to 2005. “I’d come down to perform in a play called Butter and Mashed Banana,” Gulshan recalls, adding, “Wehad two free days, so we decided to visit Charminar, had lunch, and explored the area. We didn’t know what to expect, but the city was vibrant, bustling, colourful, and full of energy. That first trip to Hyderabad remains one of my fondest memories.”‘I’m determined to get my Telugu accent right’Preparing for his Telugu debut has meant returning to language training. “Growing up in Bengaluru gave me access to many languages, but now I’m working on getting the finer nuances of Telugu right,” he says. “I’ve hired a tutor and am currently practising Telugu. Since the film will be shot in sync sound, I’m determined to get it right. It’s a bit challenging, but I’m ready to put in the effort.”
Gulshan Devaiah as Kulashekara in Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1
‘A chance encounter with Rishab Shetty got me into Kantara Chapter 1’Gulshan credits an unplanned meeting in Bengaluru for his Kannada debut in Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1. “Back in 2019, I met Rishab Shetty by chance at a dosa joint in Malleshwaram, thanks to a mutual friend,” he recalls. “He already knew my work, and we discussed cinema and also spoke about a few scripts. Though he initially approached me with another script that didn’t work out, destiny brought us together again for Kantara Chapter 1. Playing Kulashekara was an experience I truly cherished.”‘Pan-India releases benefit both the business and the art of cinema’The rise of pan-Indian cinema has redefined the market, and Gulshan believes this shift is here to stay. “What excites me is that audiences across the country now have access to quality films,” he says, adding, “The lockdown demonstrated that viewers are open to regional-language cinema. Movies like Pushpa and Mahanati took everyone by surprise, showing that compelling storytelling can transcend language barriers.” He adds, “The Hindi market contributed to about 60% of Pushpa’s overall earnings. Pan-India releases benefit both the business and the art of cinema. They allow stories from different languages to reach a broader audience while elevating the craft itself.”
