Anushka Sharma’s production Paatal Lok emerged as one of the best web series of 2020 and its lead actor Jaideep Ahlawat walked away with tons of compliments and accolades for his performance. The actor finally received his long awaited due in the role of Delhi Police official Hathiram Chaudhary. However, Jaideep did not get the best compliment from any celebrity, friend or mentor but it came from a viral social media post.
During a recent interview with a portal, Jaideep was asked about the best compliment he received for the role and he revealed that it was actually a meme. He said, “I received a photo early in the morning, it was a meme. It had Irrfan Saab’s (late actor Irrfan Khan) picture on top and a quote that read ‘Pata nahi dharti par acting ka kya ho raha hoga (I wonder what is happening to acting down on Earth)’. And below that is a picture of Hathiram and next to it is a quote from the show ‘Main sambhal lunga bhai (I will handle it brother)’. That was the moment when I felt that I will never receive a bigger compliment than this.”
Irrfan passed away on April 29, 2020 after battling neuroendocrine tumour for two years. His untimely demise left his friends, fans and family heartbroken. Speaking about his death, Jaideep had said in an earlier interview, “Irrfans of the world don’t die. They live on in actors such as me. He has touched many souls and no one can fill that space. I had the good fortune to meet him 2-4 times and had long chats with him. He always had this need to be known for the characters he has played. He used to tell me that ‘Jaideep meri jaan, we just don’t get good stories anymore. Us actors just keep thirsting for good stories, waiting for a good one.’”
Jaideep’s turn as Hathiram Chaudhary made him a household name and people who had been unaware of his acting prowess woke up to his calibre. He was last seen in Ananya Panday’s and Ishaan Khatter’s film Khaali Peeli in which he played the main antagonist.
(Source: Filmfare/Bollywood Hungama)