Actor Jaideep Ahlawat makes his podcast debut with Audible’s Baby Doll that also stars Richa Chadha. Directed by Pravesh Bhardwaj, here Ahlawat plays Balwant Singh, a powerful man who is at logger heads with Baby, who is on a mission to avenge the murder of her best friend.
Though the new medium was exciting for the actor who has impressed us with noteworthy roles in Paatal Lok, Raazi and Ajeeb Daastans among others, it threw unexpected challenges towards him. “It was a different experience altogether. The first day was difficult as the new format confused me a bit. I had difficulty relating things. With no visual stimuli and co-actors in company it took time to understand this new format and what was required of me. I had to create my own world while delivering dialogues,” recalls Ahlawat who had to take a few days’ break to ace the new format.
The new project took him back to the days of the radio. “It took me back to the hay days of the radio when we used to hear stories on Vividh Bharati. It also made me relate to the audio cassette of films that used to be available at that time. I remember listening to Sholey’s story on an audio cassette.”
With his command over the craft, Ahlawat has transferred the script with all its nuances through his voice. Baby Doll has increased his appetite for the new medium and he is looking for more challenging roles. “I am sure Audible will come with something more exciting. I am expecting to get a character more vulnerable than Balwant Rana. Also, I would love to do something poetic. It’s one thing that is close to me,” says Ahlawat who is a fan of Ghalib, Mir Taki Mir and other poets.
Ahlawat’s upcoming projects include The Broken News and Sujoy Ghosh’s film starring Kareena Kapoor.