Jaideep Ahlawat is casual about breaking the internet. Mostly known for portraying intense characters, he recently went viral for his unexpectedly suave dance moves in a song from his upcoming masala-thriller Jewel Thief—The Heist Begins. Becoming a reel sensation, however, isn’t something the actor—who himself isn’t that active on social media—was seeking. “It felt nice, but I consider it part of work,” he says. Jaideep adds that he prefers to stay away from the social media bandwagon of likes, shares, and followers. “I remember after Raazi a person suggested that I buy more followers. I asked him if they can just be bought, what’s the use?” In Jewel Thief, Jaideep plays a cruel mafia boss who employs a charming thief (Saif Ali Khan) to steal a precious gem. It also features Kunal Kapoor—otherwise known for gentle roles—playing a tough cop. Nikita Dutta rounds off the cast as Jaideep’s partner in the film, whose growing attraction to Saif adds a simmering tension to the mix. The film seems like a pure genre piece, filled with elaborate plans and double-crosses. Heist films can often feel improbable with “system hacks” happening at the press of a button. Jaideep agrees. “I know, sometimes makers take cinematic liberty. But amazingly, a lot of times, cases of real-life heists actually read like a film script. Truth can be stranger than fiction.” Jaideep, who is sharing screen space with Saif for the first time in the film, describes him as “happy-go-lucky.” The actor says, “He is very funny. Be it the cast or the light guy, he jokes with everybody.” Jaideep has also worked with Saif’s wife Kareena Kapoor Khan in the moody mystery-thriller Jaane Jaan (2023). He ponders on how different both are on set. “I couldn’t get to speak to Kareena much off-screen and maybe it was the kind of film we were doing which was more sombre, unlike Jewel Thief, which is a high-energy thriller, but Kareena was calmer,” he says. “But they both have one thing in common, they were always well-prepared.” Jaideep admired Saif’s acting prowess and how his filmography is a mix of both mainstream and non-commercial films. “He can suggest ten different ways to do a scene. Every time I shared the screen with him, I had to constantly be on my toes because he could take a scene in multiple directions,” he recounts. As an actor, Jaideep was first noticed for his role as a sinister politician in Priyadarshan’s Khatta Meetha (2010). His claim to fame, however, was his minor but intense performance as Shahid Khan in Anurag Kashyap’s revenge saga Gangs of Wasseypur. “I remember there was a party happening for Wasseypur. I thought it was an intimate event and I wasn’t needed,” says Jaideep. “Anurag (Kashyap) called me and asked ‘Where are you? These media people are all burdening me with questions about you. Come fast’. Only then did I realise it had blown up.” After Wasseypur, Jaideep’s filmography boasts of impactful performances in content-oriented films like Raazi (2018), Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (2021), Three of Us (2022) and series like Paatal Lok (2020-25) and The Broken News (2022-24). There are also blips of small roles in commercial films like Gabbar is Back (2015) and Baaghi 3 (2022). “I think money is important,” he says. “It gives you confidence. Once it starts pouring in, you can be more fearless in your work. As an actor, if I know that I have enough money to fulfil all my family’s needs I can be more experimental with my choices. I can take things slow, do one project a year and wait for the right script.” Jaideep explains that the correct combination is to do films that fill both the heart and pocket. Does it happen often? “I have done films that filled neither,” he quips.In Jewel Thief, Jaideep and Saif both eye the intriguingly-titled gem Red Sun, which is valued at ₹500 crore. On what he would do if his account gets credited with such a hefty sum one day, Jaideep says, “I would buy a lot of farming land in Haryana.” The state also houses Saif’s family home Pataudi Palace, how about that? Jaideep replies in the spirit of a heist film. “That I’ll steal.”
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