Bollywood Hungama

EXCLUSIVE: Drishyam The Conclusions viral Madira peeke so gaye? actor Ajeet Singh Pallawat was originally supposed to play Draupadi; reveals why makers changed it to Chanakya

In 1975, Gabbar Singh's iconic question, Kitne aadmi the?, from Sholay became a part of popular culture. 51 years later, another question has caught the fancy of moviegoers: Madira peeke so gaye?! Uttered by Raghu Nayak (Ajeet Singh Pallawat) in the blockbuster Drishyam The Conclusion, the hilarious one-liner has become a rage, especially on social media. The fact that the dialogue is also repeated by Jaideep Ahlawat and Kamlesh Sawant's characters has added to its popularity. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Ajeet Singh Pallawat opened up about the viral dialogue, his experience of working with Ajay Devgn and Jaideep Ahlawat, his fascinating journey as an actor and a lot more. Your role, and especially the Madira peeke so gaye? dialogue, has become quite popular (Smiles) All I can say is thank you to the audience for enjoying my dialogue so much. It has also become quite popular on social media. As for the film, I feel very happy to be a part of a franchise that has never disappointed the audience. As a performer, I thoroughly enjoyed essaying Raghu even in Drishyam 2 (2022). This time, the joy was double and hence, I am even more thankful. We performed the dialogue in different variations. Since it was repeated so many times, audiences also took to it. Moreover, Gaitonde (Kamlesh Sawant) and Tomar (Jaideep Ahlawat) also mouthed the dialogue, which added to the fun. You had more screen time in the third part. Did you receive more feedback for your performance in Drishyam The Conclusion? I guess that's the reality screen time se actors ki presence aur uske kaam aur craft ko aankhte hain. At least, that's what I feel. I am glad the makers gave more importance and space to Raghu. Last time, he became a part of the narrative and managed to catch the audience's attention. But yes, this time, the audience noticed my performance even more. I thoroughly enjoyed performing, especially since most of my scenes were with Ajay Devgn sir. This time, I also got to work with some more actors. As performers, that's what we want more and more people should watch and appreciate our work. Your character is also seen performing in a play. Were there any interesting changes made to that sequence? Originally, I was supposed to play Draupadi! But the makers and the director took a creative decision. They felt that if the depiction of Draupadi didn't come across as intended, toh arth ka anarth ho sakta hai. Hence, just a few days before the shoot, my role in the play was changed from Draupadi to Chanakya. There were also some scenes featuring me, beautifully written by Aamil Keeyan Khan, which further established Raghu Nayak's love for acting. However, they were edited out, probably because they didn't fit into the film's pace and rhythm. Also, the scenes that were retained were enough for the audience to understand his world and life. Nevertheless, those deleted scenes were quite interesting and had some fun one-liners as well. How was the experience of working with Ajay Devgn and Jaideep Ahlawat? It was amazing. You understand why they are so respected in the world of acting. You can sense that they draw from their real-life experiences while performing. The way they respond to a scene or your dialogue, you realize that there's a certain depth to their performances. Nothing feels shallow. I come from a theatre background and it's easy for us to recognize when actors are completely immersed in their characters. It's almost as if you're not talking to the actor but to the character himself. Hence, I got to learn a lot from both Ajay sir and Jaideep sir. While going through your filmography, one thing that stands out is that you have played a cop quite a few times (Laughs) I have done around 15-17 roles and, in most of them, I have played a police inspector. My friends even joke, 'Ek permanent vardi silwa lo'! But I have no complaints. I am happy to be getting interesting roles and opportunities to perform for the audience. Also, whether it was Sector 36 (2024) or Vedaa (2024), my characters had significance. They were not limited to saying 'Tumhe giraftar kiya jaata hai' or 'Police ne tumhe chaaro taraf se gher liya hai'! They had a lot more to say and do. In Criminal Justice, I again played a cop, but the character also had a personal life that was explored. In the Drishyam series, Raghu Nayak is an aspiring actor and often expresses his desire to pursue a career in acting. In real life, did you also always want to become an actor? Yes, you could say that. I am from Jaipur and I was in Class 6 or 7 when I performed at a 'Bal Sabha' in my school. I received a lot of applause from my teachers and classmates. You can say I tasted blood that day! When I was in Class 9, I read an interview with Irrfan Khan sir in which he credited NSD (National School of Drama) for his journey. I immediately opened the directory and called NSD. I asked them how I could get admission to the institute. The person on the other end asked me, 'What do you do?'. I replied, 'I am a student in Class 9'. He said, 'Beta, pehle graduate ho ke aao'! From that day onwards, I decided that I would graduate only so that I could get admission to NSD. In 2006, I attended an NSD workshop but didn't get selected for admission. I prepared again in 2007 and, luckily, I got selected. It was a life-changing experience. You were also a part of Poster Boys (2017) I did a play called Main Hoon Yusuf Aur Ye Hai Mera Bhai. The associate director of Poster Boys saw the play and asked me to audition for a role. I had just arrived in Mumbai and hadn't faced the camera much. But I was happy that an offer had come my way and immediately accepted it. It was a fun experience. I got a chance to meet Shreyas Talpade and we hit it off very well. In fact, I am also a part of his upcoming directorial, Sar Car Ki Seva Mei. Did you get a chance to interact with Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol? Yes. It was a comeback film of sorts for Bobby sir. Since we shot together for around 30-35 days, I got plenty of opportunities to interact with both of them and we developed a bond. In fact, Sunny sir had prepared a speech from Othello as part of his preparation to apply to a drama school in London. He has never spoken about it openly, but I know about it (smiles). What's next? I continue to do theatre. I recently performed in a play called Virasat. It's a fascinating experiment a live performance that goes on for three-and-a-half hours! It is directed by Anuradha Kapur, former director of NSD, and produced by the KNMA group from Delhi. The script has been written by Mahesh Elkunchwar, the prominent Marathi playwright. As for films, Sar Car Ki Seva Mei will be released soon. I am also a part of Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga 2. Since I was in the first part, I have a small role in the sequel as well. Also Read: Drishyam The Conclusion show-sharing row: Panorama Studios Week 3 show demands put exhibitors in a fix as Nayyi Navelli, Prahaar, Jailer 2 gear up for release