After Jaideep Ahlawat delivered a nuanced performance in Paatal Lok (2020), many of us wished to see him in a comedy, a genre that would be an antithesis of sorts to the gritty web series. It looks like the actor heard us. His latest offering, Bloody Brothers, sees him spin a web of lies and deceit, to hilarious results, when his brother — essayed by Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub — runs over an elderly man. Ahlawat holds the black comedy close to his heart as it sees him in a leading role. “It’s liberating to play the lead. But, along with that, comes great responsibility. Now, I have to up my game because the story is shouldered by me. At the same time, as an actor, there is a sense of relief. I can pick and choose the stories I want to tell. Paatal Lok has been a game changer for me in that regard. People started trusting me more as an actor,” he says.
A still from Bloody Brothers
The ZEE5 series is an adaptation of BBC’s Guilt, a thriller set in Edinburgh. While the original was a taut mystery, director Shaad Ali has infused dark humour into his adaptation. The satire is a change of pace for Ahlawat who was almost getting pigeon-holed in intense roles. “There was a phase when [I was getting typecast]. Now, I feel relieved that I am not being typecast, and all sorts of roles are coming my way.”
