BENGALURU: Guns & Gulaabs, the latest from filmmaker duo Raj & DK (Raj Nidimoru and Krishna Dasarakothapalli) on Netflix, screams the ’90s. Not just any part of that decade but particularly the Bollywood-dominated time. So it was inevitable for Gulshan Devaiah to take great inspiration for his character, Chaar Cut Atmaram, from that era.
There is no prize for guessing the inspiration behind his hair, which is definitely reminiscent of Sanjay Dutt, from the Saajan days. “There are some references to Mithunda (Chakraborty). I have so many tattoos, and there is some meaning to them. I wanted to use a different kind of knife which would be my homage to Hindi films,” says Devaiah. However, he suggests that if someone wants to dress like him for this Halloween, then along with the hairstyle, the boots are also very important. “It made me walk a certain way. And about my teeth, rather than staining them, I used an invigilator, which made me speak in a certain way,” he adds.
From the look of the show, it is quite evident that it is set in an ‘absurd world’, and Devaiah says that is its USP. “All of the characters are imaginations of Raj & DK and Suman Kumar. They birthed the characters, and we raised them. It is set in such a world where characters are a bit over-the-top. Raj and DK’s storytelling is supposed to be fun. We submit ourselves to them,” the actor says, adding, “With stories like The Family Man, you don’t know what’s going to happen next. It is an edge-of-the-seat thriller, but many find humour in such absurd scenarios. That absurdity glues everything together whether it’s a thriller, comedy or even a zombie movie like Go Goa Gone.”
Apart from Devaiah, the star cast of the show includes Rajkummar Rao, Dulquer Salmaan, and Adarsh Gourav. While it sounds like it was a fun set with a band of boys, Devaiah reveals he spent most of his time with co-star TJ Bhanu. “TJ and I would chat for hours. She is a fascinating character herself. I don’t know what these boys were up to,” he says with a laugh. “But jokes apart, I had a great time promoting the show with Dulquer. He is an absolute gentleman, and handles stardom with grace and calmness,” he says.