Happy birthday Jaideep Ahlawat! 5 lesser-known roles you cannot miss
What's the story
Jaideep Ahlawat is one of the best breakthrough actors in Indian cinema. The FTII graduate leaves a mark with every work. With the advent of OTT, we have seen the actor donning some marvelous roles in works like Paatal Lok and Ajeeb Daastaans, among others.
On his 45th birthday, we look at five films you did not know Ahlawat starred in.
#1
'Gangs of Wasseypur' (2012)
The Anurag Kashyap-directed movie has become a cult classic. Most of the acclaimed actors working today were a part of the two-part crime drama. From Piyush Mishra to Rajkummar Rao, all starred in the film.
Ahlawat essayed the role of Shahid Khan in the first part of the movie. He played Sardar Khan's father role and nailed it in his brief performance.
#2
'Rockstar' (2011)
Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar is a generation-defining film hailed for AR Rahman's music and Ranbir Kapoor's performance. The film is touted to be Kapoor's best performance to date.
Ahlawat played Kapoor's elder brother's role and the small part was impactful. He exuded the typical Jatt traits from Pitampura, New Delhi. We still remember the scene when he threw Kapoor out of the home.
#3
'Raazi' (2018)
Meghna Gulzar's Raazi is one of the finest spy thrillers in Hindi cinema. The characters were written with a tender human touch, unlike other films.
Ahlawat essayed the role of Khalid Mir who trained Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) before sending her off to Pakistan. His poker face, grit, and integrity were like a hard-hearted R&AW officer. His scenes with Bhatt added depth to the film.
#4
'Raees' (2017)
The Shah Rukh Khan starrer was a gangster film directed by Rahul Dholakia. People gushed about Khan, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui's performances but most did not notice Ahlawat's short performance as Nawab.
He played Musa Bhai's (Raees's mentor-turned-foe) assistant. The cold-attitude killer's conviction was seen in his eyes. Khan and Ahlawat complemented each other well on screen.
#5
'Chittagong' (2012)
Bedabrata Pain's 2012 historical war drama is based on the 1930 Chittagong armory raid. The patriotic film showed the independence struggle from a very different lens.
Manoj Bajpayee essayed the role of Masterda Surya Sen and the other stellar cast included Barry John, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Rao, among others.
Ahlawat's performance as revolutionary Ananta Singh awed the viewers.