Published on: Jan 07, 2026 12:25 pm IST
Gulshan Devaiah, praised for his role in Kantara Chapter 1, critiques the trend of bearded, ultra-macho leads in Bollywood.
Bollywood actor Gulshan Devaiah impressed audiences with his performance as the antagonist in Kantara Chapter 1. In a recent interview with Screen, the actor shared his blunt take on the growing trend of leading men sporting beards and adopting ultra-macho personas similar to those seen in Pushpa. Gulshan admitted that he finds the trend tiring.
Gulshan Devaiah questions why every leading man needs a beard
When asked whether the lines between protagonists and antagonists have blurred, with lead actors like Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh playing morally ambiguous characters in Animal and Dhurandhar, respectively, Gulshan quipped, “I just have a problem with everybody having a beard. Why does everybody need to have a beard? Everybody is doing Pushpa only. What’s the problem with being clean-shaven? It’s just a trend. So is ultra-machismo. It can be incredibly fun, but I’ve gotten tired of it after a point. Why is every leading man ultra-macho? I think that’s why Rishab cast me in Kantara, because I wouldn’t approach it by just staring and not blinking at all.”
He added, “I would have a different way of still hitting those marks that are needed from the story’s perspective. Also, since people really love Atmaram (Guns & Gulaabs, 2023), I have to keep reminding them that he’s not a nice guy. He may be cool and fun, but one shouldn’t get carried away and forget that these are extremely flawed characters. He’s considering killing children. Come on, who does that? That never burdened me, but later I realised he’s not a nice guy at all.”
About Gulshan Devaiah’s recent work
Gulshan essayed the role of King Kulashekara in Kantara Chapter 1. His performance received immense praise from both critics and audiences, who applauded his ruthless portrayal. The film, helmed by Rishab Shetty, emerged as a major box-office success and became the second-highest-grossing Indian film of 2025, earning ₹851 crore worldwide.
Meanwhile, Gulshan was most recently seen in the show Perfect Family. The series, which also stars Manoj Pahwa, Girija Oak and Neha Dhupia, is available to watch on YouTube.
