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While Samantha Ruth Prabhu stole the spotlight in The Family Man Season 2 with her raw, gritty performance, Season 3 has a new scene-stealer — Jaideep Ahlawat. Entering the show as Rukmangadha Sinha, fondly called Rukma, Ahlawat has once again become the audience’s favourite with his powerful screen presence. Recently, the cast — Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Nimrat Kaur and Jaideep Ahlawat — sat down for a lighthearted chat with comedians Ravi Gupta and Kusha Kapila. During the conversation, the duo reenacted the now-viral scene where Rukma demands reimbursement.
Ravi quipped, “Baniya aadmi jab gunda ban jaye toh yahi hota hai,” sending the room into laughter before turning to Jaideep and teasing, “Why are you so heartless?”
Jaideep, ever the sport, defended himself with a smile: “It was written in the script… plus, I’ve seen poverty growing up.”
Manoj Bajpayee quickly jumped in to back his co-star: “He’s just playing his character. He’s an FTII graduate. He’s a great actor.”
Taking the compliment a notch higher, Jaideep Ahlawat cheekily propped his legs on the table and announced, “Well, now Manoj Bajpayee has declared it.” A startled Manoj responded, “Don’t do this at least in front of me,” leaving everyone in stitches.
But the chat soon turned emotional. Jaideep recalled the moment his life changed after Paatal Lok. “When Season 1 released, I got a phone call from Manoj Bajpayee. He spoke to me for 20 minutes. I will never forget that. After the call, I cried a lot,” he said.
Curious, Kusha asked Manoj what he had told Jaideep. Manoj replied, “I told him, ‘Please open a film institute. I want to become your student.’ Maybe that’s why he cried.”
He then offered a candid insight into the industry: “One actor never praises another. They won’t call to appreciate someone’s work because they’re insecure.”
Manoj admitted, “Till today, I keep asking for work because I’m a born struggler.”
Both actors, now celebrated performers, have walked long, difficult roads to success.
Manoj Bajpayee’s struggle is legendary. Desperate to become an actor, he was rejected repeatedly by the National School of Drama. In a conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia, he recalled his toughest days: “The worst days of my life were when I left Delhi for Mumbai. In Delhi, I worked 18 hours a day, often without money — but I was creatively satisfied. We walked 10 km because we couldn’t afford the bus. I didn’t know English, so I kept practising and people thought I was crazy. But I was busy. In Mumbai, there was no work, no money, no food.”
His trajectory changed with Satya (1998). Years later, Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) cemented his place, and The Family Man turned him into a household name.
Jaideep Ahlawat’s rise was no less dramatic. Though he debuted in 2008 and appeared in memorable smaller roles in Gangs of Wasseypur and Raees, fame arrived much later — at 40 — with Paatal Lok (2020). The series transformed him into an overnight sensation and paved the way for leading roles in Jaane Jaan, Maharaj, Jewel Thief, and now The Family Man.
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