Jaideep Ahlawat reflected on the complexity of returning to a character in a sequel at the Filmfare OTT Awards 2025, co-powered by Hyundai in association with Amanté’s press conference. To emphasise the same, he referenced his fan-favourite character Hathiram Chaudhary from Paatal Lok as a prime example. He recalled a defining moment from Season 1, where Hathiram describes the system as something that appears shabby on the outside but functions as a “well-oiled machine” within. He went on to recall how the character’s understanding was of a place where only the lever changes, never the machine. That understanding, Ahlawat said, shapes Hathiram’s worldview: no matter how hard he tries, he remains a tiny cog in a massive, unchanging structure.
Picking up the character three years later in Season 2 presented its own challenges. Ahlawat explained that Hathiram is still stuck in the same chair, still the smallest part of the same system. The real task, he said, was portraying the “three-year fatigue”. This fatigue was growing with the boredom, the emotional distance from Ansari, and the ever-evolving but strained bond with his son. He recalled how, in the early episodes, Hathiram even steps into the background as Ansari rises in rank. However, his instinct as a top-tier investigator never truly fades.
Ahlawat went on to note that despite Hathiram’s frustration and reluctance, the moment a case takes an unexpected turn, “the investigating officer inside him wakes up,” driven not by ambition but by an irrepressible need for the truth. The actor highlighted the difficulty of balancing that very contradiction: a man who is exhausted by the system. And despite that, he is unable to exist without the thrill of uncovering what lies beneath.
As the season progresses, Hathiram enters a space where he has no authority, no familiarity with the terrain, no power whatsoever. Yet he keeps going, only to find that, in the end, nothing changes. He returns to the same system, the same roles, the same limitations. “That’s the challenge of a sequel,” Ahlawat said. “The surprise is gone, and now the character must grow without losing what made him who he is.” This complexity is why he believes that sequels will always be harder to imagine and create than the first season of a show.
The Filmfare OTT Awards 2025 are set to take place on 15th December 2025. Keep watching this space for all the updates.
