Jaideep Ahlawat has an appeal for filmmakers — he wishes to be cast in a project that explores his dancing skills. The actor and dance don’t seem to go together, did you say? But here’s the thing about Ahlawat; he is a step ahead of the sometimes unimaginative ways of the industry. Before Bollywood — inspired by his stellar performances in Paatal Lok (2020) and Raazi (2018) — can pigeon-hole him into brooding roles, he has shed the image and charted the unfamiliar territory of love stories with Netflix’s Ajeeb Daastaans. 

“I am grateful Shashank [Khaitan, director] thought of me for this character. Considering the way he narrated Bablu bhaiya’s [his character] complexities, I was keen to try my hand at the role. [That said], I was fearful whether I would be able to tell the story the way he intended,” begins Ahlawat, who is joined by Fatima Sana Shaikh and Armaan Rahlan in the short film.