Jaideep Ahlawat deserves all accolades: Shefali Shah

Shefali Shah hailed Jaideep Ahlawat as her ‘favourite co-star’, saying his rise reflects the sweeping changes ushered in by OTT platforms.

Speaking at the ongoing seventh edition of the Dehradun Literature Festival, Shah, while praising her ‘Three of Us’ co-star, said witnessing his career trajectory fills her with immense happiness, as he deserves every bit of it.

“He is so cool. The OTT has changed our lives. We were all considered talented, but where would we be placed in those big commercial films? So, when I see his growth, it makes me so happy,” said Shah.

Shah recalled feeling a surge of pride when ‘Paatal Lok 2’ released and she spotted an ‘Amul’ hoarding featuring Ahlawat.

“If Amul’s hoarding is there, that is the ultimate. I felt so happy to see him - I still get goosebumps. He deserves all the accolades,” she said, adding that Ahlawat’s rise symbolised a heartening shift in the industry.

The 53-year-old actress, back as DIG Vartika Chaturvedi in the third season of her Emmy-winning ‘Delhi Crime’, opened up about roles that she regretfully had to decline. Among these were the 2006 English-language drama ‘The Namesake’, adapted by director Mira Nair from Jhumpa Lahiri’s celebrated novel and ‘Talvar’ (2015), the critically acclaimed crime drama directed by Meghna Gulzar, inspired by a real-life double murder case.

“I didn’t turn down these projects because I wasn’t interested. At the time, I was already committed to other films. While ‘The Namesake’ was happening, I was working on ‘Gandhi, My Father’ and when ‘Talvar’ came up, I was busy with ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’,” she explained.