The Family Man 3: Jaideep Ahlawat backs Manoj Bajpayee on pay gap, recalls being typecast after Commando

Manoj Bajpayee and Jaideep Ahlawat star in The Family Man 3

Jaideep Ahlawat and Manoj Bajpayee have collaborated for The Family Man Season 3, marking a significant partnership between two of India's most renowned actors. However, Jaideep has recently talked about the difficulties he encountered following Commando, the prejudices associated with non-traditional roles, and his agreement with Manoj's earlier remarks regarding salary inequality in the field.

During a recent interview with News18 Showsha, Jaideep said, “It happened after Commando. I started getting offered a lot of weird, negative characters. The character I played in that film was a little weird and off. Everybody started coming to me with roles with that kind of weirdness – ki basically aap gaadhe ho.”

He added, “It was very annoying! Once you do something different, every second script that comes to you starts looking exactly the same. Why should I take them up? Once a character is over, it’s done. I don’t want to play it again."

The actor also talked about the pay disparity between male and female stars, as well as between commercial and middle-of-the-road actors.

Manoj Bajpayee, Jaideep's co-star in The Family Man 3, had previously claimed that he was underpaid for the show and called himself "cheap labor." Even in the streaming industry, he continued, big stars command higher salaries.

Jaideep said, “I agree with Manoj bhai. That very much happens."

He elaborated, “Commercial cinema is like a race. Horse races hota hai na… kisi ghode pe paise lagaaoge, toh woh jeetega hi kyunki aap ko pata hai ki woh jeet ne ke laayak hai. If I’m putting in Rs 100 crores on a film, I’ll look for a face who I know can give me Rs 200 crore. It’s obvious that I’ll place my bet on an actor who can bring in the numbers.”

Jaideep continues, “This change has to come from the top – producers and directors. I always say this – ek naayak ki kahaani nahi hoti hai, ek kahaani ka naayak hota hai. If you write a story and then choose your hero, only then a systemic change will happen. But if you choose the hero first and then weave a story around and according to him, it won’t work. It may bring you the money but it won’t turn out to be a good film. But that’s how the system is."

Also Read: Manoj Bajpayee reveals he received a call for The Family Man 3 while he was on his way to father's funeral, 'on flight, pilots were discussing the series'

The Family Man Season 3 features Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, and Gul Panag in the pivotal roles. The action thriller, created by Krishna D.K. and Raj Nidimoru, follows Manoj Bajpayee's character, Srikant Tiwari, as he investigates a purported covert Chinese attack on the Northeastern states.

Using the pandemic as a cover, a new political conflict will emerge this season. Srikant will unearth some of the most startling discoveries and undiscovered facts as he continues the investigation. The Family Man Season 3 started premiering on November 21 on Prime Video.