Sticking to the grey zone

Actor Gulshan Devaiah of Shaitan fame prefers layered roles as he dons yet another grey character in his upcoming film Hate Story

After three releases last year including the acclaimed Shaitan (2011), actor Gulshan Devaiah is looking forward to yet another grey role in his upcoming film Hate Story. “Playing a black or white character isn’t interesting, but a grey role has lots of scope. I have been inundated with darker, edgier roles post Shaitan, but I’ve stayed away from them as I want to explore the shades of grey,” the actor says, who believes that purely negative people don’t exist in this world, “Everyone has some bad and good in them,” he says.

Hate-Story

His character Sidharth in Hate Story triggers Kaavya (Paoli Dam) and her transformation from a simple girl to a sex worker. “Sidharth is a rich and manipulative guy who wants what he wants, unlike KC from Shaitan, who was a bit crazy, rash, psychotic and couldn’t control himself. The role is an intense one but not a negative character, though there’s some unpredictability about him,” Gulshan says.

The erotic thriller directed by Vivek Agnihotri has elements of sex and revenge. “We have done a lot of crazy things in the film like physical assaults and intimate scenes as the characters are volatile in their relationships,” says Gulshan, adding he was nervous and uncomfortable when shooting the intimate scenes but Paoli’s calm attitude helped him through. “I was courageous about doing the scenes as I am game for trying new things, but it got a bit difficult in the beginning. However, Paoli was professional and cool and eased my anxieties. The director has pushed the envelope in this regard to make the scenes believable. But we haven’t gone overboard or else it would be a porn film.”

Gulshan has also bagged another grey role in Halaahal directed by Vasaan, where he will play a narcotics officer. He says, “I have two other yet-to-be-signed offers which will see me in positive and comic roles.”