From being one of the most respected actors today to once standing nervously on set, Jaideep Ahlawat’s journey has been shaped by moments that left a lasting impact. One such moment came during the first day of shooting for Raazi, when he found himself face-to-face with the legendary Gulzar.
In a recent episode of the iQOO Quest Talk podcast with Nipun Marya, Jaideep Ahlawat opened up about that overwhelming experience and the pressure of working in the presence of a legend. “It was my first day on the set of Raazi, and there was chaos everywhere- everyone was busy setting things up. And then suddenly, there was silence… because Gulzar Sahab had entered,” he recalled.
What followed was a moment of pure nervousness. “My heartbeat became so loud, I could hear it. I was so nervous, I genuinely felt like I might throw-up. Saans upar neeche ho gayi thi,” he shared.
The pressure only intensified when Gulzar spoke to him directly. “He told me, ‘I will keep checking if you are reading your lines correctly or not.’ After that, I had to step out and catch my breath before coming back, I was that anxious,” Jaideep added.
Speaking further about his Raazi experience, Jaideep also reflected on working alongside Alia Bhatt. “She is an amazing actor. You would think coming from such a big film background, things might be different, but the kind of hard work she puts in is truly inspiring,” he said.
Highlighting her approach on set, he added, “Her involvement in every scene is beautiful. It never feels like she is a star- she is like a student, always learning, always present.”
