Gulshan Devaiah — the surprise package of Badhaai Do — says he has received a phenomenal response to his character ever since the film released in theatres on February 11.

The actor, who plays Guru Narayan, a lawyer and Rajkummar Rao’s love interest in the film, adds, “The kind of love and appreciation that the film — and the character I play in it — have been receiving is wonderful. ”

He says that his part in the film was deliberately kept a secret. “Even my friends were surprised when they saw the film and me in it! No one had an idea that I was doing this film, while I also kept it under wraps, and I think that is working in our favour. A lot of people are pleasantly surprised that I suddenly appear in the story. They had some great things to say like ‘we wish there was more of you in the film’.”

In a chat with us, Gulshan talks about his chemistry with Rajkummar, working with director Harshavardhan Kulkarni again after Hunterrr (2015) and playing a character that leaves an impact on the audience despite his brief screen presence.

When Gulshan read about Guru Narayan in the script, he says what struck him was how comfortable the character was with himself. “He doesn’t have issues accepting who he is. He is a person who is happy with himself. Most of the time, we have issues because we don’t accept many things about ourselves and that makes us insecure, Guru doesn’t have any of those insecurities. Guru is secure, happy and content. He doesn’t feel that he needs to hide from society for who he is,” says Gulshan.

Gulshan adds that Guru’s character might appear for a brief period of time, but he’s a significant part of the film. “He is important to the plot of the film because it does affect Shardul (Rajkummar’s character in the movie) and changes him,” he says, adding, “The audience’s response to the character, and the chemistry between him and Raj’s character, is amazing. They are accepting the fact that there is wonderful chemistry between two men. Love is love and people are enjoying the performance for what it is without getting too judgmental about it — even if they can’t relate to it. For example, I am a straight man, but when I see a beautiful moment created between a same-sex couple, I enjoy that moment for its beauty. I am hoping that we have managed to create that kind of a beautiful relationship on screen and that’s why people are enjoying it so much. It is effective as it is able to make people forget the sexual orientation of the two people and find beauty in the relationship that they share.”

One of the best compliments that Gulshan’s received so far about his chemistry with Rajkummar in the film is that “you two are so good that you should do a romantic film together.”

The actor says that their chemistry was effortless. He explains, “When you work with good actors who are extremely professional and secure then you don’t have to try to create anything, the chemistry just shows on screen. Raj is a fine actor, trained and extremely professional, he is very secure in the place where he is, so we could create something together and it was fun. I love Raj as an actor and he is also a person who is leading by example. He is a trendsetter and source of inspiration for many, including me, so working with him was very delightful.”

Gulshan says that he got to shoot for just about two-three days with the cast and had the best experience. “I have known Sheeba Chadha (who plays Rajkummar’s mother in the film) for over 10 years, but this is the first time I worked with her. I just shot one scene with her, but I enjoyed it. I like Bhumi, I find her very cool. For me, the most fun part was shooting the pride parade scene where Bhumi and I are on a truck and I got to play some music of my choice to make Bhumi dance,” shares Gulshan.

After Hunterrr, this is the second time Gulshan worked with director Harshavardhan Kulkarni and he says that the creative process of working on the character is slightly easier when you understand the director’s vision. “Harsh and I had made one whole film together, so I understand his sensibilities, how he directs and what he expects. The point was to stay true to the writing of the film. Even if I was making a special appearance, my job was to give my best. So I just tried to be as truthful as possible to the script and Harshavardhan’s vision,” says Gulshan.

Junglee Pictures’ Badhaai Do is directed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni, and written by Akshat Ghildial and Suman Adhikary. The film is now playing in theatres.