Last Updated:November 22, 2025, 07:40 IST

Jaideep Ahlawat says he was ‘annoyed’ with the ‘weird and off’ negative roles that came his way post Commando: A One Man Army, leading him to turn some films down.

Apart from The Family Man 3, Jaideep Ahlawat and Manoj Bajpayee has worked on Chittagong and Gangs Of Wasseypur.

Navigating the film industry is no cakewalk, especially for outsiders. And Jaideep Ahlawat would agree. After graduating from FTII, he forayed into Bollywood with Priyadarshan’s Khatta Meetha and Aakrosh. But it was Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur that gave him some bit of visibility. While he thereafter went on to work in big-ticket films like Rockstar and Vishwaroopam, he again hit a rough patch following Commando: A One Man Army when he had to say no to many films.

Speaking exclusively to News18 Showsha, Jaideep says, “It happened after Commando. I started getting offered a lot of weird negative characters. The character I played in that film was a little weird and off. Everybody started coming to me with roles with that kind of weirdness – ki basically aap gaadhe ho. It was very annoying! Once you do something different, every second script that comes to you starts looking exactly the same. Why should I take them up? Once a character is over, it’s done. I don’t want to play it again.”

Yet another flipside of the film industry that continues to plague many actors is pay disparity – not only does it exist between a male and a female star but also a commercial and middle-of-the-road actor. A while ago, Jaideep’s The Family Man 3 co-actor Manoj Bajpayee had stated that he was underpaid for the series and referred to himself as ‘cheap labour’. He added that big stars command higher pay even in the streaming world.

Quiz Jaideep about it and he says, “I agree with Manoj bhai. That very much happens.” But he adds that the change also has to happen in the mainstream, theatrical space. “Commercial cinema is like a race. Horse races hota hai na… kisi ghode pe paise lagaaoge, toh woh jeetega hi kyunki aap ko pata hai ki woh jeet ne ke laayak hai. If I’m putting in Rs 100 crores on a film, I’ll look for a face who I know can give me Rs 200 crore. It’s obvious that I’ll place my bet on an actor who can bring in the numbers,” he remarks.

The Jaane Jaan and Jewel Thief actor continues, “This change has to come from the top – producers and directors. I always say this – ek naayak ki kahaani nahi hoti hai, ek kahaani ka naayak hota hai. If you write a story and then choose your hero, only then a systemic change will happen. But if you choose the hero first and then weave a story around and according to him, it won’t work. It may bring you the money but it won’t turn out to be a good film. But that’s how the system is.”

But would he say that the industry’s perception of him has changed, especially after being a part of acclaimed shows like Paatal Lok and The Family Man 3? “I would say that I now have some kind of an access to certain filmmakers and production houses [which I didn’t have earlier]. People have accepted me in some ways. That’s why my reach has increased, relatively,” Jaideep states.

Titas Chowdhury

Titas Chowdhury is a Special Correspondent at News18 Showsha. She writes about cinema, music and gender in cinema. Interviewing actors and filmmakers, writing about latest trends in showbiz and bringing breakin…Read More

Titas Chowdhury is a Special Correspondent at News18 Showsha. She writes about cinema, music and gender in cinema. Interviewing actors and filmmakers, writing about latest trends in showbiz and bringing breakin… Read More