It's challenging for an actor to move out of the shadow of an iconic character, but Jaideep Ahlawat, who rose to prominence after starring in 'Paatal Lok,' believes the 2020 Prime Video series has enabled him to land more diversified roles.
Hailing from Haryana, Ahlawat became a household name courtesy his performance as Hathi Ram Chaudhary in the Anushka Sharma-produced show.
The 43-year-old actor believes the character of the washed-out Delhi police officer gave him the opportunity to show all the 'navrasa' (nine emotions)-- love, laughter, anger, compassion, disgust, courage, wonder, fear and peace -- and make a mark as a skilled performer.
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"Post 'Pataal Lok', I got varied offers. I guess storytellers realised that I can play with different emotions. I believe in 'Pataal Lok' my character had all the 'navrasa'. I've been getting a lot of versatile roles. Thankfully, I've saved myself from getting pigeonholed. I believe if one is a good actor people start trusting them with their stories," said Ahlawat.
Known for his critically-acclaimed performances in films 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'Vishwaroopam', 'Raazi' and Netflix anthology 'Lust Stories', the actor will next be seen in the ZEE5 series 'Bloody Brothers', co-starring Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.
The dark comedy revolves around the lives of two brothers -- the elder brother Jaggi (Ahlawat), who enjoys a wealthy and perfect life, while the younger one Daljeet (Ayyub) struggles to survive running a vintage bookshop-cum-cafe. Their life spins out of control when a tragic accident occurs and distrust starts enveloping their lives, creating a rift between them and everyone around.
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Ahlawat said he was blown away by the script when he first read it, and as soon as he got to know about Ayyub coming on board, it was a quick 'yes' for him.
"It's a great opportunity as this show is a mix of many things-- there is dark comedy, thriller, suspense and even family drama. The moment I read it I was ready for the project," he said, adding that he had an "amazing" time working with one of his good friends in real-life.
"It's amazing to work with Zeeshan. It was long overdue. We used to see each others work and speak about it... He is a sensible and intelligent actor and when you get good co-actors the process becomes easier."
The six-part series is produced by Applause Entertainment in association with BBC Studios India and directed by Shaad Ali, best known for films 'Saathiya' and 'Bunty Aur Babli'.
It also stars Satish Kaushik, Mugdha Godse, Tina Desai, Shruti Seth, Maya Alagh, and Jitendra Joshi.
Post 'Bloody Brothers', Ahlawat will be seen in Anirudh Iyer directorial 'An Action Hero'. Starring Ayushmann Khurrana, the film is backed by filmmaker Aanand L Rai’s production house Colour Yellow Productions and Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series. He is also part of a Sujoy Ghosh film and will soon start working on 'Pataal Lok' season two.
[With Inputs From PTI]
