Jaideep Ahlawat, fresh from the success of Paatal Lok, talks about the response the show has received, what are his plans once the lockdown is over, and why the success party of the show was weird!
Picture Courtesy: Official YouTube Page/Amazon Prime Video India
Jaideep Ahlawat has been acting in Hindi films for the last ten years. His first glimpse was seen in Priyadarshan-s Khatta Meetha, where he played the antagonist. If Anurag Kashyap-s gangster-drama Gangs of Wasseypur confirmed his position in the Hindi film industry, his recent breakout character in Paatal Lok further cemented it.
Playing the role of Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary, a man struggling with personal demons and professional struggles, Ahlawat nailed the nuances of his character, diving deep into a complex part and giving a personal and vulnerable portrait of an ordinary man. And in an exclusive interview with mid-day.com, he talked about the success of Paatal Lok, and how life has been post the staggering response. Watch the full interview:
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The first question was whether he anticipated the response. He said, "I didn-t expect to see this kind of response but knew that people would appreciate the story if it reached them properly. We had that kind of faith in our writing and story. But the love that we all have been getting, it feels unreal." He has been appreciated for his performances every time but this time he played a lead character so has he finally get his due.
This is what he says, "Well, yes, writers and directors now have faith that stories can be written around Jaideep Ahlawat." Hathiram is a good man but a complex character. What was it that attracted him the most towards this role? "I think there are not too many grey shades to his character, I never did such a character before because of my looks, my body, height, and everything. My previous roles have been very dominating and are sure about what they are doing. But Hathiram is very vulnerable, he doesn-t know what to do and how to do it," Ahlawat says.
He adds, "He-s just waiting for the right time and the right moment where his life and his relationships can become better. This is the thing that is very unique in Hathiram that he feels every emotion of human being. When you go through all this, you feel enriched as an actor." Does he think that most of the directors think of negative roles for him since he has often played them? He says, "I did! When you start your career as a negative lead, this is human nature that people ask you to do the same stuff over and over again if you-re good at it. It starts from our home."
He continues, "If someone at home makes good tea, everyone wants him or her to make it every day. But it was good to see that the myth was broken with some of my positive characters. And suddenly Paatal Lok comes and people see you as an actor with very different shades, emotions, and situations." There are a lot of challenging scenes in Paatal Lok, especially where his character has to chase criminals, and Ahlawat even gained weight for that.
He states, "There was a practical joke between Shoojit Sircar and our director that make him gain weight and then make him run. So they asked me to put on and then you get trapped in those chase sequences. But I knew this would happen, mentally at least I was prepared. Physical it was tiring also because Chitrakoot was very hot and we all used to get drained. Even in terms of story, Chitrakoot has the most hostile conditions. So the action there was tough, and they drained us."
Since Ahlawat and Hathiram, both hail from Haryana, was it easier for him to get hold of things? Look what he says, "Definitely! If you hail from a place where your character belongs as well, it helps you because you know them in and out. We have merely used the Haryanvi language, only where it was needed and required. My character speaks the language only he-s at the peak of his emotions. So whatever comes out, comes out in his native language. So that was easy!
And did he see any cop movies or cop dramas for his inspiration? "No, not at all! Because the character is so beautifully written on paper that you cannot pick any direct influence for it, that-s what I feel. And I didn-t feel the need to watch anything, Indian or international. I just read and read and read the script over and over again," he quips. So who-s his favourite on-screen cop? He answers, "Om Puri Ji from Ardh Satya, Manoj Bajpayee was fantastic in Shool. To be honest, I really like Singham, it-s a very entertaining film and I loved that character. Bachchan Saab Amitabh Bachchan from Zanjeer is our all-time favourite."
There are so many characters that stay with the audiences long after the film is over. Will
Hathiram Chaudhary be that character? Ahlawat says, "I hope so, I definitely hope so. I-ll be very happy if people keep mentioning it." The show has been praised by a lot of people but the story is also being perceived differently by people everywhere. Is the show promoting violence as stated by a section of the audience? The actor states, "The writing is brilliant and it helps the actors when the writing is so dense and detailed. When their behaviour is written so minutely. So Sudip sir Sudip Sharma will be able to answer this better. For me, it-s a fictional piece of work, a fictional character. I approach all my characters with honesty."
He continues, "In anything, the receiver is very important. If the receiver is wrong, he-ll pick up the wrong thing." And what was the most difficult scene he had in Paatal Lok? "Emotionally, there-s a scene with Ansari that was very challenging, there-s a scene with Sanjeev Mehra in the end, which was also very emotionally challenging. The scene where Gwala Gujjar points a gun towards him is also very interesting because you-re emotionally and physically drained and yet you-re confident. So that was again a difficult scene mentally. Even physically, that scene was so difficult to shoot."
He continues, "All the running scenes, scenes of being beaten up were very difficult." Once he goes back home, do these scenes play in his mind? He says, "Definitely, they are always there. It-s not like this happens when you go back home, they are always there throughout, 24/7. I-m sure this happens with everyone. But these scenes are there even if you have a break for two days. There are some actors who get a break for seven days so even during that time, they are always there."
Apart from Hathiram Chaudhary, who was his favourite character from the show? "I have many but personally I feel Hathoda and Sara." In the end, we see Hathoda-s love for the dogs and how Hathiram gives a dog an ice-cream. Talking about these sequences, Ahlawat says, "the makers have worked with a lot of layering. His perspective of him loving dogs has not been shown in the show. He-s not afraid of dogs and dogs are not afraid of him. So definitely he-s a man who can love dogs."
He adds, "But when he understands the importance of a dog, he sees it in a very different way because he knows something related to that animal." All these dialogues and punchlines have been trending on social media, so which is his favourite. "All credit goes to Sudip sir and the team of writers. I have many, Hathiram himself has so many punchlines. When I read the character of Hathiram, his opening line was -Yeh Duniya Teen Duniyaon Ki Hai,- I was like -wow amazing.-
He continues, "There are other lines like when he says to Sanjeev Mehra how he thought he was a big personality but now all his illusions are broken." Was Anushka Sharma involved in the production so did anyone interacts with her during the making? He says, "No, I-m sure she must have taken all the creative decisions in advance. She has a fantastic team but there were no personal interactions but definitely we used to get appreciated by their team. Karnesh Bhai Karnesh Sharma and the people at Clean Slate Films are amazing."
He adds, "They treat their technicians and actors like family, which amazing for an actor because you feel very secure and relaxed and you-ll give your best." And how was the online success party? He says, "It was weird because we all were sitting at home and we never felt like this. That was really weird because we all were congratulating each other through our mobile phones. I wish we all could meet outside."
And how has he kept himself busy during this lockdown? "Paatal Lok has kept me busy for the last one month. I asked my father to watch the show and now am trying to accumulate all the love. In this last one month, I-m only getting calls about the show so all I do is try to eat food and sleep." Has he been watching any show or series? "Unorthodox, Lucifer, which is very interesting and fun. And then there-s this documentary called Tiger King."
What will be the first thing he-ll do once the lockdown ends? This is what he says, "I really want to go home, back to my hometown. I was planning to go home before the lockdown but suddenly everything happened. Now I really want to go home because it has been a while since I met my family. I also want to see their reaction. The kind of messages I-ve been getting, I really want to go home and feel the energy."
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