Gulshan Devaiah plays the titular character’s father in director Kaushal Oza’s ‘Little Thomas’. What the actor is truly pleased about is the fact that he got the opportunity to play a simple character in a light-hearted film after a long time. ‘Little Thomas’ comes at a time when the audience laments the dearth of films being made for and about children in India.
The film, which releases in theatres on October 23, features Hridansh Parekh in the titular role. It also features Rasika Dugal, Hridyannsh Gokani, Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal, Aarush Sarda and Aseem Hattangadi in important roles.
In this interview, Gulshan talks about ‘Little Thomas’, working with Rasika Dugal for the first time, long-time collaborator Anurag Kashyap, the joy of watching a film in a theatre and more.
Based on the trailer and other promotional material that has come to the fore, one expects the film to have a warm and fuzzy feel to it. It is set in the Goa of the early ‘90s. Did you shoot the film in Goa?
We did shoot in Goa. However, not every scene you will see in the film was shot there. It is quite easy to shoot some parts in Mumbai and pass it off as Goa. Filmmakers do it all the time. As long as it does not look jarring, it is fine. Goa and parts of Mumbai share a lot of similarities as far as the architecture is concerned. There is a large Catholic community in Mumbai as well. Because of this, we could shoot quite a bit in Mumbai as well.
This is the first time you have worked with Rasika Dugal.
Yes, that’s right! ‘Mirzapur’ (2018-present) could have been our first project together. When they were making the first season of the series, they approached me. They gave me the freedom to choose between two roles, Guddu and Munna. I decided not to take up either of them. To play Guddu, I had to gain a lot of weight and build a certain kind of body. I would not have been able to do that at that point of time. As far as Munna was concerned, I didn’t feel I could add anything to it. It felt like an extension of what I had done in ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’ (2013). I have never made a decision based on who I want to work with. It has to be more than that. Rasika and I have known each other for a long time. It was wonderful to work with her on this film.
Hridansh Parekh plays Thomas in the film. How was it working with him?
Hridansh was 6 or 7 years old when we shot the film. I think he has done some work before. He is very confident in front of the camera. He has an angelic face and was right for the part. He is a sweet boy. Working with children can be tricky at times, especially when you are working with infants. With other actors, the approach is different. When you are working with children, you have to give them the space and time they need to do their best. Working on this film with Hridansh and others was a very smooth experience. The atmosphere was very light and relaxed. Sometimes, a film set can be very chaotic. This was a very quiet set. Kudos to Kaushal and his team for making this happen.
‘Little Children’ marks Kaushal Oza’s debut as a feature film director. He has made a few short films in the past. What made you say a yes to this film?
Kaushal sent me a short film he had made. Rasika had acted in the film. Even Naseeruddin Shah was a part of it. I really enjoyed watching the film. The script also played a major role in me saying a yes. It put a smile on my face. I am an only child. So, I could connect with Thomas, who wants a sibling in his life.
I had a lovely time working on the film. It is a very sweet story told sincerely. In the last few years, I have mostly been offered scripts that are a little dark and edgy. I was mostly playing characters that were dodgy or dubious. I had done a lot of crime thrillers. I was happy to have got the opportunity to do a film which had so much innocence in it. As an actor, it was quite refreshing for me to be a part of a film like ‘Little Thomas’. It is a comforting and relatable film.
Anurag Kashyap has been a constant presence in your life. He directed you in ‘That Girl In Yellow Boots’ (2011), which was one of your first films as an actor. Over the years, he has co-produced and presented many films featuring you. You also shared the screen with him in the show ‘Bad Cop’ (2024). Good Bad Films, a company owned by him and producer Ranjan Singh, has co-produced this film.
Yes! 2-3 different companies have come together to make this film. Good Bad Films is one of them. Anurag was not much around though. He had co-produced ‘Shaitaan’ (2011), which I did at an early stage in my career. As a producer, he likes to stay in the background. Ranjan, though, was there constantly and making this film happen. The team at Civic Studios was also greatly involved. Kaushal’s mom, Mrs. Charu Oza, is one of the producers on the film. Her contribution was also significant.
I will always be grateful to Anurag as he was the one who gave me my first opportunity as an actor. He could have given it to anybody. After ‘Dev D’ (2009), there was a lot of buzz around him. The big studios were after him. I was Kalki’s friend. At that time, they were dating. He put a lot of Kalki’s friends in the film. Being Kalki’s friend might have had a part to play in my casting. However, I would like to give myself some credit for taking up that opportunity and working hard towards doing the job well.
What are some of your memories of working on that film?
‘That Girl In Yellow Boots’, in a lot of ways, marked the beginning of my journey in cinema. A few years before that, I had shot an English film when I was still living in Bengaluru. However, it never released. ‘That Girl In Yellow Boots’ was shot in 2009 but it released in 2011. A few weeks before that, two of my other films, ‘Shaitaan’ and ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ (2011), came out.
I was introduced to Anurag through Kalki. He auditioned me for the part and cast me. While shooting for the film, he gave me complete freedom to interpret the character the way I wanted to. I didn’t know it was possible for directors to do that. I am still very fond of him. Many a times, I don’t agree with some of the things he says but that has no impact on our equation.
Around the time Anurag came in, a lot of other new-age filmmakers, who had a distinctive voice, came in. Anurag was on the top of the pile. Young filmmakers looked up to him and were inspired by his journey. When I was doing ‘That Girl In Yellow Boots’, I was very new to the city. Sometimes, I would bump into new or aspiring actors in certain places. When they would get to know that I am doing a film with Anurag Kashyap, my value in their eyes would go up suddenly. They would ask me questions like, “Anurag Kashyap ki film mein role kaise mila tumko?” (laughs). I was very grateful about the fact that I was getting to work with somebody who was so much sought after.
In recent times, a lot of filmmakers have spoken about the challenges they face while trying to release smaller-budgeted films in theatres. In such a scenario, it is heartening to see a film like ‘Little Thomas’ getting a theatrical release.
I also feel very happy about it. Releasing small films in theatres has become quite a task. A lot of courage is required to do that now. We do not have endless resources to promote the film or release it widely. Most of us have been lovers of cinema and cherish the experience of watching a film in theatres. Of course, all mediums should co-exist. The experience of watching a film on a big screen is very different from watching something on television or on a mobile screen. There is a certain intimacy in the latter. One should not compare one experience with another. Personally, I feel cinema is best experienced on the big screen. I must also acknowledge the fact that a lot of my love for cinema comes from watching a lot of films on the small screen. In 2023, I did a small film called ‘8 A.M. Metro’ which had a chance to release in theatres. It’s good to see ‘Little Thomas’ arriving in theatres. There should be space for all kinds of films in theatres.