Gulshan Devaiah says smaller films 'slip through the cracks' as his 2023 film 8 AM Metro is rediscovered on OTT

A still from ‘8 AM Metro’

Actor Gulshan Devaiah is overwhelmed with gratitude as his 2023 film 8A.M. Metro is winning love following its digital release on Amazon Prime Video. Despite a modest theatrical run at the time of its cinema release, the film has discovered a renewed wave of love only now on OTT.

Starring Gulshan Devaiah alongside Saiyami Kher and written and directed by debutant filmmaker Raj Rachakonda, 8A.M. Metro is a warm, intimate movie. Over the past few weeks, the actor has been inundated with messages from fans who say the film resonated with them long after the credits rolled.

Reacting to the outpouring of affection, he said, "The love that 8A.M. Metro is receiving now feels like a never-ending gift. When the film first released in cinemas in 2023, it had a very limited run - no massive promotions, no big marketing campaign, and not a wide release. It didn't make noise at the box office, but somewhere deep down, we knew we had made something honest. Today, seeing audiences discover it on OTT and connect with it so personally is incredibly moving for me."

Reflecting on the film's delayed discovery, the actor also spoke about the larger structural challenge such films face. "The reality is that there isn't really a proper ecosystem for smaller, personal films like 8A.M. Metro."

Calling it the most emotionally vulnerable role of his career, Gulshan said, "8A.M. Metro is probably the most emotional performance I've given. It's not your typical love story - in fact, it's a love story that was perhaps never meant to find its ‘perfect' fate. And that's what makes it so real. Not every connection is meant to culminate in fireworks. Some are meant to exist quietly, beautifully, and then pass. Of course, one wishes that more people had discovered the film when it first released. But perhaps this is just the life cycle of certain stories. Some films take time to find their people. In a world filled with chaos, aggression, and constant noise, we need films like this. We need stories that allow us to sit with longing, vulnerability, and incompleteness. 8A.M. Metro reminds us that it's okay to feel deeply. That there is beauty in melancholy. And I think that purity is what's finally connecting with people."

May 19, 2023
When the film released in theatres

May 10, 2024
When it first streamed on Zee5

Feb 15, 2026
When it landed on Prime Video and found a wider audience