From 2019 meeting to Kantara Chapter 1: Gulshan Devaiah and Rishabh Shetty’s artistic journey

Gulshan Devaiah opens up about his bond with Rishabh Shetty and how Kantara: Chapter 1 was years in the making; a manifestation of mutual respect and artistic alignment

Gulshan Devaiah calls Rishabh Shetty a true storyteller

Published on:

14 Oct 2025, 7:29 am

Updated on:

14 Oct 2025, 7:29 am

2 min read

Actor Gulshan Devaiah, who has been getting a ton of praise for playing King Kulashekara in Kantara Chapter 1, has opened up about his creative connection with actor and writer and director Rishabh Shetty. The prequel to the big 2022 hit Kantara marks a powerful collaboration between these two strong talents.

Gulshan Devaiah on his creative bond with Rishabh Shetty: How Kantara: Chapter 1 united two passionate storytellers

Talking about how their bond began years ago, much before Kantara Chapter 1, Gulshan shared and they first met in 2019 and actually spoken about working together in the future.

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Sharing more about that first meeting, Gulshan recalled, “Rishabh met me through a common friend PD SatishChsndra and expressed his desire to work with me. I didn’t know who he was in 2019, but I liked meeting him very much. He was sincere, a lover of cinema, and very passionate about telling his stories, I was immediately attracted by that energy. The first few projects discussed, in which I was to be a leading actor, didn’t work out for a lot of reasons.”

What began as a creative conversation and a mutual admiration between two artistes eventually turned into a fulfilling collaboration years later with Kantara: Chapter 1. Reflecting on this journey, Gulshan added, “I remember we instantly connected as artists. There was a lot of mutual admiration for each other’s work. We spoke about the idea of collaborating someday, and though we didn’t know in what capacity or when it would happen, there was a shared intention that something would bring us together. That manifestation took shape in 2025 with Kantara: Chapter 1.”

Working with Rishabh, Gulshan says, has been one of the most creatively fulfilling experiences of his career. “Rishabh is an exceptional storyteller, someone who approaches his stories with great passion and sincerity. He leads by example and brings out the best in everyone around him. Our shared love for authenticity and meaningful storytelling made this collaboration very natural. Kantara: Chapter 1 is not just a film for me; it’s a testament to what happens when artistes from different journeys come together with one vision.”

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