Actor Gulshan Devaiah, who stars as King Kulashekara in Kantara: Chapter 1, recently opened up about his bond with actor-director Rishab Shetty.

Revealing how their connection began years before this film came into being, Gulshan shared that he and Rishab first met in 2019, long before Kantara: Chapter 1 was conceived and had spoken about potentially working together.

Sharing more about that first meeting, Gulshan recalled, “Rishab met me through a common friend and expressed his desire to work with me. I didn’t know who he was in 2019, but I liked meeting him. He was sincere, a lover of cinema, and very passionate about telling his stories. We discussed some projects in which I was to be a leading actor but it didn’t work out for a variety of reasons.”

“When Rishab and I first met, I remember we instantly connected as artists. There was a lot of mutual admiration and respect 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,” he added.

Kantara: Chapter 1, a prequel to Kantara (2022), has been a success at the box office. The film has made Rs 451 crore in 12 days since its release.