Actor Jaideep Ahlawat shocked everyone with his major physical change for his role as Jadunath Maharaj in the Netflix movie “Maharaj.” His character is a powerful nobleman in pre-independence India who exploits the weak and oppressed. In a conversation with Puja Talwar, Ahlawat shared that the transformation was quite challenging.
Jaideep Ahlawat`s journey behind losing 25 kg in 5 months for `Maharaj`
For the role, he lost almost 26 kgs in just five months. In the interview, Jaideep reflected on the experience and shared, “The body transformation was physically very challenging. I was not working out for almost a year, after the lockdown, I was very heavy. It was difficult and painful. Thanks to Prajwal Sir, my trainer, director Sidharth P Malhotra and everybody who believed that I could do that.”
In fact, achieving the right fitness level wasn`t the only difficult part. He also had to adjust his mindset. “This man thinks very differently. He feels everyone is petty in front of him. He has this belief. He doesn`t get angry on petty things. It was challenging because I had to convince myself to understand that man`s thought process, and whatever he is doing… I had to believe it and make it convincing for myself first and then make it convincing for the audience. I could do it thanks to my director, my writer and my costume designer,” he added.
Junaid Khan did not initially want to take up `Maharaj`
Ahlawat revealed the initial doubts he had about taking on the character, admitting, “In the beginning, I thought that this is a very difficult character. It is not going to be easy to handle. I told my brother that I don`t think I can do this,” he told ANI.
The turning point for Jaideep came after a meeting with the film`s director, where he was reassured by the strong vision and compelling narrative presented. “The way he narrated Maharaj, I was like, yes, I should do this.”
“It was successful because I believed in the writing and my director,” Jaideep said, highlighting the collaborative effort behind his performance.
The film, set during the 1862 Maharaj Libel Case, faced a temporary setback on its release due to a legal stay by the Gujarat High Court, which was lifted earlier on Friday.
