We’re Crushing Over This Cop From ‘Paatal Lok’ & All We Can Say Is What A Hottie Hottie

Those of you who have seen, Paatal Lok, the new conspiracy thriller making all the buzz on the internet, would know that Hathi Ram Chaudhary aka Jaideep Ahlawat is the most compelling character. Uh, no! Let me redo that sentence. Jaideep Ahlawat is a gifted actor. Through his portrayal of a frustrated cop who hasn’t got his due in a long time, he has won hearts. So much so that, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he has totally f*cked the stereotype of a ‘leading man’ that we’re all used to watching. Well, we’re in awe of this actor who doesn’t miss a beat in the entire series. But there’s another new actor who caught our attention for two reasons. One, his too-hot-to-handle looks (What A Hottie Hottie was literally playing in my head the first time I saw him on screen). Second, his honest portrayal of a Muslim cop, Imran Ansari, who is frequently reminded of his religion by his coworkers in a casual yet cruel way.

Played by Ishwak Singh, the character is an officer-in-training who is assisting Hathi Ram in his investigation. Never even once Imran leaves Hathi’s side and goes on to support his boss till the end even when he is on study leave. Dedication, I tell ya! Look at his innocent face though:

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He is ‘Nirmu’ From Veere Di Wedding

Now, you’re maybe wondering where have you seen him before. Remember Nirmu from Veere Di Wedding. No? Nirmal? Yeah, you’ve got it! Sonam Kapoor calls him mother-lover’ in the movie. 

Ishwak also worked with Sonam in Raanjhana (2013). He played the role of a member of the theatre group that Sonam’s character joins. 

And it turns out, he is a ‘mother-lover’ in real life too. In an interview earlier, he admitted to being one, “Yes, I love my mother a lot, and I am a bit of a mother- lover! (laughs),” said Ishwak. On his work equation with Sonam he said, “It’s amazing working with her. The first time I faced the camera was in Raanjhana. Sonam had joined the theatre group, Asmita, of which I have been a part of for many years now. Aanand L Rai (director) wanted her to learn about street play. We did a workshop together. She’s one of the best co-actors.” 

Ishwak has also worked with film director Imtiaz Ali in Tamasha (he played Tara’s aka Deepika’s boyfriend) and in a biryani commercial, they did together. I don’t know about you but I certainly remember seeing biryani memes featuring Ishwak. Here’s one from his Intsa feed:

Architect Turned Actor

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IRL, Ishwak is an architect who got into the theatre to pursue his passion for acting. “I am an architect, but I felt that I was really missing something. Acting was something that always interested me. A theatre group in Delhi called Asmita Theatre matched my sensibilities and I took the plunge. This was a good decision as acting was my real calling. I am happy that my parents were supportive of my decision. But it was theatre that gave me the confidence and skills that paved the way for my entry into films,’ the actor had said in an interview earlier.

And we have enough proof that he is a versatile actor. Ishwak has also worked in a Malayalam film, called Mohavalayam, with National Award-winning director T V Chandra. Okay well, enough said, we’re looking forward to seeing more of him on screen!

Featured Image: Instagram & Rediff.com