Gulshan Devaiah, who got divorced in 2020, unhesitatingly talks about his ex-wife Kallirroi Tziafeta being his best friend. Both enjoy each other’s support and spend quality time with each other. Nonetheless they don’t wish to tie the knot with each other again. Gulshan has a few films and series which are up for release soon, one of which is Guns & Gulaabs directed by Raj & DK. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive tête-à-tête. Excerpts:
If meeting someone regularly, especially the opposite sex there is a thin line between the two falling in love or being good friends. How would you explain these relationships?
I have an experience that wasn’t a romantic experience. I was 14 years old when I used to take a school bus with one college girl who must have been 20 years old. We had developed a friendship and would check with each other every day. It was an hour's long journey and we would talk throughout the journey as we sat next to each other. After two years she stopped coming as she graduated. I would travel all alone, I missed her until I travelled on that route. I was just in class 10 and she had already passed her studies by then.
Go on…
Now since so many years have passed by I have no idea where she is and what she is doing. It was in 1994. It’s been a long time. She was a friend and it was a non-romantic relationship. We never kept in touch. People do have such emotional special bonds like shown in our film 8 A.M. Metro after watching the film the audiences would feel that the two could have made a great couple.
You are an emotional person and also friendly with your ex-wife. How is it going?
Yes, we are best friends even now. We talk to each other every day. We go for dinner. We support each other and we like each other. She is very happy to see me busy doing my work and good work. I’m very happy about all her achievements she is making in her life. And we share a very special bond.
You don't wish to remarry with her or anybody else?
I don’t have any such thoughts in mind. We have a very good and healthy relationship. We just wish to be happy and stay in this zone and not really imagine things that are beyond. We got married and it really didn't work out.
Can you elaborate further?
Imagine you nurture a tree watering it on a daily basis. It can be a flowery tree or any other regular tree. If one of its branches gets spoiled you have to cut off that branch and that's what we did. We have cut that branch off. So we are divorced and got rid of that poisonous branch. But we have the tree to enjoy. It gives us the required shade. Gives us ample comfort and creates desired oxygen. It’s beautiful to look at also… it’s like a hara bhara tree. Yes, a crack can never be mended if you say so.
What kind of conversations do you both have with one another?
We spend a lot more time and discuss meaningful topics now in comparison to our earlier time together that we spent while we were married. We don’t wish to remarry again madam.
