From being a theatre artiste to making a mark in films and series, actor Gulshan Devaiah is undoubtedly the master of versatility. Gulshan is someone who never sticks to a cookie cutter template. He has entertained the audience with diverse roles in 'Shaitan', 'Hunterrr', 'Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota' to 'Dahaad' and 'Guns & Gulaabs' among others. Did you know Gulshan was offered to play the character, Guddu bhaiya in 'Mirzapur'? Yes, you read it right! Read on to know why he had to turn down the offer.
Ali Fazal played bodybuilder-turned-don, Guddu Pandit aka Guddu bhaiya in Amazon Prime Video's 'Mirzapur'. It made him a household name. For the role, Ali had to go through a massive physical transformation. He had to gain weight for his character. Gulshan told Outlook India that the role was initially offered to him by 'Mirzapur's creator and director Karan Anshuman but he declined the offer due to health issues.
Gulshan shared, ''I was offered to play Guddu bhaiya in Mirzapur. Karan Anshuman met me and said he would like me to consider the part. I told him at that point of time that 'I don't have to be a world-class bodybuilder but I still have to put on a lot of weight'. At that time I was going through a lot of back problems. My L5-S1 was raptured and I was constantly in pain. It wasn't possible for me because I had to put on weight''.
He elaborated, ''Guddu is an amateur bodybuilder and I have to look muscular and I can't do it. So, I had to turn it down. I had to prioritise my health over this great opportunity.''
But Gulshan has no regrets for letting it go as health is his priority. ''At that point of time, I didn't want to do it because I had to do heavyweight, eat heavy and this would have put so much stress on my back that I would have had to jeopardize the project,'' he said
He further added, ''I am glad that it worked out so well for Ali. It was such a breakthrough performance for him and it turned out to be a grand success in the series format.''
The 45-year-old actor also said that a lot of male and female actors want to look a certain way for a role but he feels sometimes it's the requirement of the role, but sometimes it's not. He added, ''For example, if I am playing a policeman, do I really have to have bulging biceps? It depends. In Dahaad, it was the realistic portrayal of a policeman. I didn't need big muscles, six-pack abs or wide thighs. No, I don't have to. It really depends on the requirements of the role. It's an aesthetic that a lot of people want which I understand. But I have not really worked on project where it was required.''
''After Hrithik Roshan, everybody felt that that they needed to have a body like him. Of course, he has a great body. Shah Rukh Khan made six-pack abs. It just became a trend. It's not a requirement but a trend and I don't want to follow it. I will do it if it's justified for the role,'' said the 'Duranga' actor. Gulshan concluded, ''I would have done Guddu Bhaiya if I was healthy.''
On the work front, Gulshan will be seen in 'Ulajh', 'Little Thomas' and 'Guns & Gulaabs 2'.
