GOING IT ALONE

It’s often hard to keep your eyes off Jaideep Ahlawat. Releasing this month, his latest film, An Action Hero, is set to have the same hypnotic effect. The actor opens up to Reader’s Digest about his craft

- Suhani Singh

You have been acting for a while, but would it be fair to say that Raazi (2018) was the gamechanger?

I had hit other milestones before that film. Gangs of Wasseypur, for example, was a major stepping stone. Nobody knew who I was until then. It was the first film where some people thought, There’s something about him. But, yes, Raazi was a pretty big one. During the making of it, I felt my acting software was upgraded. I fell in love with my craft more. The film was a superhit, so more people saw me. But, really, the out-and-out gamechanger was Paatal Lok. More trust has been bestowed on me since, and I now feel I will be able to pull it off and reach out to the audience.

Cinemas are flourishing again. Do you consciously not want to be pigeonholed as an OTT actor?