Jaideep Ahlawat is back in a hard-hitting police uniform as Rajveer Singh Tomar in ‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’, but the actor says he is done playing cops. While he enjoys the buzz that comes with a blockbuster, he makes it clear that he now wants demanding roles, substantial characters and strong screenplays.
Jaideep Ahlawat on how blockbuster success may change his career
In a conversation with Variety India, Jaideep was asked how a blockbuster hit alters an actor’s career. He admitted he isn’t sure what changes it will bring, but hoped they would be positive. “Well, blockbuster success… I don’t know how it’s going to change my career, but whatever it is, I hope it’s going to be a good change. I hope I get good challenging offers. I hope I’m not asked to play cop roles over and over again,” he said.
Jaideep Ahlawat on Ajay Devgn taking a backseat in ‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’
Asked whether it was unusual for a star like Ajay to step back and let him take centre stage in several sequences, Jaideep said Devgn understood what the face-off between the two characters demanded. The script needed Vijay Salgaonkar to feel genuinely threatened by Rajveer Singh Tomar before taking drastic action to protect his family. “Yes, he understood the requirements of the duel between us, the need of the script, that Vijay Salgaonkar has to feel seriously threatened by my character Rajveer Singh Tomar, before he takes drastic remedial action to save the family. So yes, his taking a backseat, as you say, was unusual. But, that’s what Ajay Devgn Sir is: always true to the story.”
Why Jaideep Ahlawat said yes to ‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’
Jaideep said his schedule was the only hurdle when the offer came, as he wasn’t sure how to fit the film in despite wanting to do it. Eventually, he and the producers worked things out, and he calls it a very wise decision. Creatively, he said the role was so strongly written that saying yes was easy. “I was struggling with the dates when I was offered this role. I just didn’t know how to accommodate this project in my schedule, much as I wanted to do it. But yes, mutually, somehow the producers and I managed and thank God that was a very wise decision. Role-wise, it was so powerfully written. It didn’t take much time to say yes to that, creatively,” he said.
Jaideep Ahlawat’s next release: ‘King ’ with Shah Rukh Khan
Talking about upcoming projects, he revealed, “King is releasing this year with Shah Rukh Khan Sir. Other than that, I don’t have any releases.”
