Jaideep Ahlawat reacts to reports of charging Rs 20 crore for Paatal Lok 2; asks, 'Where is this money?'

A social media post circulating around the release of Paatal Lok 2 suggested that Jaideep charged Rs 40 lakh for season 1 but increased his fee to Rs 20 crore for season 2.

Jaideep Ahlawat, who recently reprised his iconic role as Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary in Paatal Lok 2, has laughed off reports claiming that he hiked his fees by 50 times for the second season. The actor, whose stellar performance in the Amazon Prime Video series has received widespread acclaim, addressed the viral rumours in a recent interview.

A social media post circulating around the release of Paatal Lok 2 suggested that Jaideep charged Rs 40 lakh for season 1 but increased his fee to Rs 20 crore for season 2. When asked about it, the actor couldn’t help but laugh.

"Arre yaar, itna tha toh mujhe bata toh dete. Main kuch kar leta iss paise ka. Hai kahan ye paisa, gaya kahan?" (If I really got paid that much, someone should have told me. I would have done something with the money. Where is this money? Where did it go?), he joked while speaking to Hindustan Times.

Jaideep’s career has been built on years of dedication, starting from his days at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). A recently viral picture from 2007 showed him alongside his batchmates Vijay Varma, Sunny Hinduja, Rajkummar Rao, and Prabhat, highlighting their long-standing journey in the industry.

Reminiscing about those days, Jaideep shared, "This picture is from 2007. And I am sure everyone had their own journey much before that. It has been 20 years since we all joined the institute back in 2005."

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Despite their busy schedules, Jaideep revealed that the batchmates remain in touch, adding, "We still talk nonsense like we used to. We don’t get to meet as often, but we stay connected through calls and messages. Whenever we do meet, it feels like we’re back in the student zone again."

Apart from Paatal Lok 2, which also stars Ishwak Singh, Tilottama Shome, and Prashant Tamang, Jaideep is gearing up for his next big project. He will be seen in Netflix’s upcoming thriller Jewel Thief, where he co-stars with Saif Ali Khan.