Gulshan Devaiah, who plays the cold and chaotic gangster Karuna in director Nandini Reddy’s Maa Inti Bangaaram, has been closely gauging the response to the film and his performance. “I couldn’t be a part of the film’s promotional events due to personal reasons. Samantha, Raj (Nidimoru) and the team have been gracious,” he says over the phone from London, where he is shooting for a new project.

This is Gulshan’s first Telugu film. “New people are discovering me,” he says. “The same thing happened with Kantara: Chapter 1. Though I’m a Kannadiga and grew up in Bengaluru, many people who didn’t know me earlier discovered me through the Kannada film.”

The Samantha-starrer, which released last weekend, has grossed over ₹50 crore at the box office. “This is fantastic,” says Gulshan. “It frustrates me when some people in the media make doomsday predictions and say only certain kinds of films will work. That cannot be the whole truth. I am glad people are rediscovering the cinematic experience. Home entertainment can co-exist with theatrical viewing. I am even happier that this response is for a film led by a female star in a mass role, which has traditionally been a male bastion.”

Gulshan also points to the broader significance of more women returning to theatres. “We still do not have the infrastructure everywhere to make women feel comfortable, even with basics like clean toilets. Social and economic factors determine how women access public spaces, and this is not limited to cinema. We have seen how people turned up for the Women’s Cricket World Cup. When there is demand, the economics of better infrastructure follows.”

Offers from Telugu cinema

Maa Inti Bangaaram may be his first Telugu film, but it is not Gulshan’s first collaboration with Telugu filmmakers. He previously worked with director Raj Rachakonda on the Hindi romance drama 8AM Metro, shot largely in Hyderabad and still finding appreciation on streaming platforms. He has also collaborated with Raj & DK on the web series Guns & Gulaabs and the anthology Unpaused.

Asked why mainstream Telugu cinema, which often looks outside the industry for antagonists, had not cast him until now, Gulshan laughs. “I have been getting offers from Telugu cinema since 2011. I wanted to settle into my work in Hindi cinema before diversifying. I also did not want to play the typical mass antagonist. When Kantara: Chapter 1 came my way, I could easily say yes because it was Kannada and the franchise was lucrative.”

Having worked in the soon-to-stream Tamil web series Legacy, he says he is now open to doing more Telugu films. “I go by instinct and also check whether the character and story genuinely interest me. That’s why I can do an 8AM Metro as well as a Kantara. It takes time to develop that kind of diversity.” Earlier this week, however, he turned down a star-led Telugu film. “The film is already on floors and I have other commitments.”

From That Girl in Yellow Boots to playing King Kulashekara in Kantara: Chapter 1, Gulshan has built a career out of darker characters. “Half my career has been playing the bad guy,” he says with a laugh. “Every time, I try saying no. When Raj sir offered Guns & Gulaabs, I first refused. ‘Ek baar dekh lo,’ he said and asked me to read it. I liked the character and agreed. Similarly, though I played dual roles in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, I knew the evil Jimmy would have better recall value than the good guy, Mani.”

The real challenge, he says, has been ensuring that each villain feels distinct from the last.

The Rayalaseema dialect

For Maa Inti Bangaaram, Gulshan had several discussions with Nandini Reddy, Raj Nidimoru and Samantha about playing a gangster who spews casual venom. “Samantha was extremely secure as an actor and appreciative of my work. That made for a professional environment. It was rather uncomplicated,” he says.

The bigger challenge was language. “There were several Telugu-speaking people around me in Bengaluru, so the language is familiar. But I can’t speak Telugu the way I can speak Kannada.” He learnt all his lines, but dialogue changes on set often meant relying on a prompter. “When actors start saying their lines, the writer or director might feel the need to make improvements. These things happen.” He was equally particular about getting the dialect right. “I wanted Nandini to be present for all my dubbing sessions so she could give me feedback on the Rayalaseema dialect. She was accommodative, even when I turned up at short notice.”

Having previously worked with filmmakers such as Konkona Sen Sharma, Reema Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi, Gulshan says a director’s gender makes no difference to his process. “Ideally, that is how it should be. But I am aware we still have a long way to go. In Hindi cinema, several women work across departments and I know that is not necessarily the case in some other industries.” Since he has worked primarily in Hindi cinema, he is reluctant to generalise. “What matters most is whether a director can liaise efficiently with all departments. For me, working with Nandini or Reema or Konkona is similar to working with Vasan Bala, Sanjay Leela Bhansali or Rohan Sippy.”