Gulshan Devaiah believes Bollywood's current focus on action-packed films and violence does not mean other kinds of stories are losing their place in the industry. The actor has pointed out that films made for different audiences have always existed side by side.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Gulshan said, "Hyper-masculine violence is a trend today, just as it was in the 70s and 80s, but other stories continue to thrive alongside it.
Drawing a comparison with the 1970s and 1980s, Gulshan said Amitabh Bachchan's "angry young man" image appealed to the masses, while Amol Palekar's "average young man" found an audience among the middle class. Both actors enjoyed success despite representing very different kinds of characters on screen.
He said, “Like in the 1970s and 1980s, Amitabh Bachchan's ‘angry young man' was popular with the masses, while Amol Palekar's ‘average young man' thrived with the middle class — both coexisted and thrived. India has immense socioeconomic diversity, so different types of films that appeal to different audiences can coexist. A film doesn't need to make ₹500 or ₹1000 crores to be a success; the return on investment ratio matters.”
For Gulshan, this is proof that the popularity of one kind of cinema does not automatically come at the cost of another.
He also admitted that predicting a film's success is difficult. Citing Hanuman Ansh, the actor said he had not even realised the film was playing in cinemas until it started making significant money. He further pointed to 12th Fail, which became the most successful film of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 35-year career, as an example of how audience response can surprise the industry.
Meanwhile, Gulshan is gearing up for the release of Little Thomas, directed by Kaushal Oza. The film follows a curious young boy who desperately wants a younger brother and stars Gulshan alongside Rasika Dugal and Hridansh Parekh.
The film is set to arrive in theatres on October 23.
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