Jaideep Kishan Ahlawat is an actor known for doing versatile roles in his films. He is known to play mostly negative roles in movies, such as the Villain in Commando or a Gangster in Gangs of Wasseypur. His career & popularity took a turn when he played Hathiram Choudhary.
Jaideep Ahlawat was born in a family of teachers and was far away from the glamour industry. He was pretty serious about getting into the Indian Army during his college days and tried his hand at the SSB interview. When appearing for SSB multiple times didn’t work, he took a turn towards acting. He was part of the theatre society in his college days and did some stage shows in Punjab. He got his calling working there and decided to be an actor.
After his graduation & FTII course, Jaideep thought he was ready for the industry. It was only after he moved to Mumbai. He realized he was still as clueless and unprepared as before. He didn’t have a godfather in Bollywood to tell him where to go and who he should talk to.
He went on multiple auditions and struggled a lot to get even minor roles. But, he stayed optimistic throughout and considered his struggle a process to learn skills. After a considerable duration of struggle in the industry, he finally got noticed in Gangs of Wasseypur, even with a short role and started getting work.
Jaideep, even with all the struggle, is very conscious about his choices. He checks the script, his role, the director and various other aspects before signing a film. His passion for films is immense, so he isn’t bothered by which industry the offer is coming from.
Particularly after the success of Paatal Lok, he is careful about choosing his next project. He knows people will now view him from a different lens and judge his next project more keenly. Though, all he wants for himself is a strong and challenging character. He loves to challenge himself so much that he likes to practice performing something different in his free time and polish himself.
Jaideep strongly believes in the power of the Internet and says that it has become pivotal in changing the cinema. Now, the audience isn’t interested in the faces; they are interested in the stories. As long as stories are sound and it is portrayed well, they are going to make it.
Jaideep Ahlawat believes that movies are not just for entertainment but are also a mirror of society. He feels that people tend to relate more to grey roles than pure black & white ones. He strongly believes that movies can change people and society, so he is more interested in doing realistic roles in grey shades. He is also glad that the industry is coming up with such roles, which lets actors such as him play lead roles.
Hathiram was successful in gaining so much popularity only because his story and his character were layered. People were able to connect with him and his situation. His dedication to do justice to his roles is great too. He didn’t break a sweat when he had to gain weight to be a 100kg person for the series.
So goes for Sudhir, who had an affair with his best friend’s wife. People were able to feel his guilt but also understand his position.
Babloo, on the other hand, tries to normalize the LGBTQ community. People consider themselves modern but still shy away from discussing such topics. Babloo forces them and the patriarchal society to talk about the issue.
The actor is mostly known for his brooding, serious roles, such as in Raazi & Paatal Lok. But he wishes to escape this stereotype and show people his other side as well. He felt that if he didn’t do anything different soon, he and his audience would be bored. He was so glad when he was offered the role of Babloo, which changed people's perception of him a lot. If he gets a choice, the actor would love to play the romantic hero and show his dance moves to his audience. His ideal choice of movies would be commercial but offbeat.
Jaideep Ahlawat has shown everybody his calibre. His acting skills are so good that he is able to make his name and place in the industry through the hard route of struggle. But as the actor admits, he has evolved through the process, which is evident in his work. He indeed does justice to whichever role he plays.
