Gulshan Devaiah calls his ex-wife Kalliroi Tziafeta his best friend: If I go out on a date I tell her

Actor Gulshan Devaiah opened up about his latest film 8 AM Metro, co-starring Saiyami Kher. The slice-of-life movie released on Friday. Even ahead of its release, many compared the film to Irrfan Khan’s The Lunchbox. In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Gulshan Devaiah shared why he feels it isn’t a fair comparison. Also read: Gulshan Devaiah jokes he’d like ‘Padma Bhushan, please’ for his performance in Dahaad

“Some people said that the film reminded them of The Lunchbox. It didn’t occur to me honestly. I couldn’t stop but imagine how wonderful it would be if Irrfan was still around. It’s one of my favourite films. It’s a lovely film about two strangers. I can understand the comparisons but at the same time, I don’t think it’s fair to compare me with Irrfan and his films,” the actor said.

8 AM Metro is directed by Raj Rachakonda. The film has been shot in Hyderabad. Before the film, Gulshan had worked with Saiyami in Unpaused. The two share mutual admiration and respect for each other. About reuniting with her, Gulshan said, “We really got along. We took care of each other on bad days also. Sometimes you have bad days when nothing goes well around you. It’s wonderful to have colleagues around you who are just there to calm down.”

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The film focuses on romance and drama but with utmost honesty as two strangers meet unexpectedly, while boarding the Metro. Together they unclog many things in their lives. Gulshan shares his take on the concept, “It’s almost romance. It makes you look at them and think why are they not together? They have other lives also. Sometimes people come from happy families and they meet someone from outside and realise they are perfect. These situations also open up many things in your life.”

Has Gulshan ever had any such interactions with a stranger that left an everlasting impression? He recalled, “I once met someone with whom I discussed my divorce and she shared hers. We found some kind of solace and comfort without any judgement. But I can’t really say that meeting someone has left an everlasting experience.”

While several celebrities are not quite comfortable sharing details of their personal lives, Gulshan is different. “There are things deeply personal and I wouldn’t share them with anybody else. You may have a broken marriage but not a broken relationship.”

“I am fortunate. I give equal credit to my ex wife Kallirroi for really making sure we keep in all the good things and not ruin anything. We didn’t think we wanted to be an example for society. I am saying this because I have so many friends who can stand even a mention of their exes. I never wanted that for me. People think it’s tough, it isn’t, actually. We gave ourselves time, we were not in a hurry. She is my best friend now. I can tell her anything. If I go out on a date I tell her that I have been out and this happened. She would share the same with me. I do miss her, sometimes. I miss having her around. I am sure she also does. Our relationship is in a different phase right now,” Gulshan explained with a smile.

Metro plays an integral part in the film. When asked, if he has any anecdotes from his Metro or train journey, Gulshan shared one, when he had to pretend to be Kalki Koechlin’s bodyguard and protect her from a crowd in Mumbai local. “In 2009, a bunch of us, including Ranbir Kapoor, Nakuul Mehta, were doing a workshop. Kalki’s DevD had already been released in 2008, so she became very famous. But, she hadn’t realised that she was famous.”

“We lived in Versova and there was a lot of traffic on the road. So, we used to take local trains to reach the workshop that would start at 9 am. Every day all of us, the boys, would stand around Kalki as security guards at the station. Nobody could believe that a popular actor like Kalki is taking a local. It was a little too much but we used to laugh about it. We were worried but she was like ‘No it takes 1 hour and a half by car.’ Every day we used to pick her up in an auto from her house to Andheri station and then take the train. We also felt a little important because we pretended to be her bodyguard.”