Gulshan Devaiah Talks 8AM Metro's Shift To OTT And Its Impact

8AM Metro OTT Release Date and Platform: Gulshan Devaiah's latest film, 8AM Metro, has premiered on ZEE5. Known for his roles in Hunterr, A Death In The Gunj, and Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, Devaiah recently discussed various topics with Filmibeat.

When asked about the differing performances of movies on OTT platforms versus theatres, Devaiah expressed his scepticism. "I don't really think that films that don't do well in theatres will perform well on OTT. The movie business is a cutthroat business. It's really difficult to get people to leave their homes and travel to a movie theatre to watch a film," he said.

He elaborated on the challenges faced by 8AM Metro during its theatrical release. "8AM Metro was an independent film with a small budget and negligible publicity budget. It's difficult to even get eyeballs when you don't have the money to do so. But we got a really positive word of mouth because whoever watched the film said wonderful things about it," Devaiah noted.

Devaiah also highlighted the differences between theatrical releases and online streaming. "Online is a different case because it has more time to build a reputation. It's not Friday to Friday; nobody cares about how many people watched it on Friday or what the box office collection was. It's a different business model, so it's a little more forgiving for films," he explained.

Devaiah shared his experiences while shooting in Hyderabad. "I had a wonderful time shooting in Hyderabad; it's a great place. I'm a foodie, so I called up a friend Rocky Singh, who does Food Shows, and found out places. He would tell me where to go, and I really had a great time," he said.

This was Devaiah's first time filming with a southern crew, which he found enjoyable despite the language barrier. "I don't really speak Telugu, but I did speak whatever little broken Telugu that I could, and I thoroughly enjoyed it," he mentioned.

The actor also appreciated the rainy weather during the shoot and praised his co-star Sayami Kher for her local knowledge. "It was rainy weather, and it was nice. I had a lovely co-star also—Sayami, who had worked in Hyderabad, so she knew a few things, where to go and eat etc. The whole experience and people were really nice," Devaiah concluded.