by: Nirmala Ravindran
He was one of the few guys in Bangalore that could carry off a pair of pink shoes with panache. National Institute of Fashion Technology graduate turned theatre actor, Gulshan Devaiah (Gullu to friends) was always gifted with an innate sense of style that his friends in the theatre circles relied on to help them shop for ‘cool’ clothes that didn’t cost the earth.
But that was four years ago. Today, he’s shooting the daylights out of people as the dangerous bad guy Bhavani, in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela wearing what looks like a prize-winning ensemble in fancy dress competition. Ask him if the edgy, hard hitting actor of films like Shaitan has made a smooth transition to the XL big budget film and he responds with, “The opus this time is in the super premium magnum league for sure. And it’s going to take a week for it to sink in, at least for a fringe guy like me.” As for being swathed in silk and satin, he’s not complaining. “Except those damn earrings that made me really miserable. They were too heavy and gave me headaches. I really loved the look that Maxima Basu designed for me. And I looked forward to dressing in those clothes, particularly the embroidered dhotis!”
His short but illustrious career graph has seen him winning accolades for films such as That Girl in Yellow Boots and Peddlers (both of which were screened at Cannes), Dum Maro Dum, Shaitan and Hate Story. Even when some of the films were panned, Devaiah managed to garner praise, award nominations and rave reviews for his performances. Not that he’s personally thrilled with any of his past performances. “I really aspire to be the best in my business, I’m not happy with being just good,” he says critically, with no touch of false modesty.
Devaiah has slowly but surely made his way from the edge of the fringe to land in the middle of mainstream Hollywood, first, with SLB’s film, and then with a two-film deal as main lead to be directed by Pooja Bhat. “I really made the best of what came my way, and one thing led to another and, then another. I firmly believe that the real challenge is making the right choices from what is offered to you,” he says.
Unlike Deepika Padukone (his co-star in Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela) who made her debut in a Kannada film, before moving to planet Bollywood, Gullu is yet to do a film down South. “It’s really never about the language, it’s only about good cinema for me. If the script and the project are right for me, I’ll definitely do it,” he says.
Kannada cinema reminds him of Bangalore, a city he misses. “I miss a lot of things, but mostly my parents, and some nice hot benne masala dosa.” Coming back to Padukone — also a Bangalore girl — he can’t help but admire her work ethic. “She’s a bonafide star and has made it on her own, like Sridevi and Madhuri in the past. She’s very professional and really easy to work with,” he adds of their time together with SLB’s film.
Even as things change around him on a daily basis, life remains largely unchanged for Devaiah who says he’s “really happy with Kallirroi, my beautiful loving companion (his wife, also an actor), a family of three cats, and commuting by rickshaws and taxis.” He adds, “There is a little bit of attention, but it’s totally manageable and yes, I would like my own home someday soon, but real estate is criminally expensive in Mumbai,” he sighs. Does he still have the pink shoes? “‘Well, there is some pink in my running shoes, so I guess…. the answer is yes, and no.”
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Sunday Read / Bangalore Mirror Bureau / by Nirmala Ravindran / November 24th, 2013
