The 'Shaitan' actor on his debut visit to Cannes where he will watch his own film for the first time

As soon as you enter Gulshan Devaiah's residence, four hyperactive little kittens greet you. And within seconds, it becomes obvious that the 31-year-old actor is an ardent animal lover.

Far from the volatile character he portrayed in Shaitan, which got him noticed, Gulshan is quite calm. In fact, he even knows how to contain his excitement of going to the Cannes Film Festival for the very first time. The former fashion designer maintains this trademark nonchalance even while sharing an incident about how he injured his vertebra last year and how it's still troubling him.

In fact, he is even scheduled to meet his doctor during the day for the dos and don'ts for this trip to Cannes. In a candid chat that followed, he also told HitList how he wants to make his maiden voyage to the French town most memorable.

What are you planning to wear for the red carpet?
(Smiles) I'll be playing safe and wearing tailor-made suits. My suitcase is packed with five of them although I'll be there for only three days!

How do you define fashion?
It's basically a reflection of one's state of mind. Besides, fashion is no more limited to clothing alone. It has become a mode of expression like Twitter or Facebook, for instance.

Has the excitement of going to Cannes sunk in yet?
No, not really. I'm trying to be Zen about the whole thing but yes, deep inside, I'm very thrilled.

What are you looking forward to?
Peddlers. (Laughs) You won't believe this but I haven't watched my own film yet. I've just seen it in pieces and that too without background sound.

Do you expect it to win the Camera d'Or prize?
Our film is among the seven that got shortlisted from 1, 200 entries worldwide. That is a huge honour, nonetheless.

Who are you hoping to bump into?
I don't have anyone in mind but I'll try to catch up with as many film screenings as possible.

There are going to be a lot of Indians in Cannes this time...
Yes, it's nice to see Bollywood making its presence felt on a global platform because of its cinema instead of just glamour. It is a promising trend.

An Indian filmmaker who you want to work with soon?
Dibakar Banerjee. I think he's the most articulate director of our times. Look at his filmography — he brings the actor out of you. I hope Dibakar is reading this piece (laughs)!

About the feedback you received for Hate Story?
Since the film was largely woman-centric, I didn't expect much coverage. But I'm grateful to those who pointed out that my portrayal of a stammerer was bang on.