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

When 8 AM Metro released in 2023, it might not have made a mark at the box office, but leading man Gulshan Devaiah knew that it told an honest story. Today, his belief in the slice-of-life film, also starring Saiyami Kher, is being rewarded as it is winning love following its release on Prime Video on February 15.  
 
Revealing that he is receiving messages from fans saying that Raj Rachakonda’s directorial venture resonated with them, Devaiah shared, “People are writing to me that they saw themselves in the characters, that it reminded them of their losses that were never fully grieved.”

8 AM Metro first dropped on Zee5, almost a year after its theatrical release. Last month, it landed on Prime Video and reached a wider audience. Reflecting on the movie’s long road to viewers, Devaiah said that such small films face structural challenges in a system that is focused on big-scale entertainers. “There is no ecosystem for smaller, personal films like 8 AM Metro. Such movies are too small for big theatrical distribution, and sometimes not ‘algorithm-friendly’ enough for streaming platforms. So, they struggle to find a permanent home. Theatres prioritise large-scale spectacles. Films like ours sometimes slip through the cracks despite having an audience.”