When, in November 2025, the Indian cinema world lost one of its most shining stars, Dharmendra, it felt like someone had stolen the heart and soul from the industry. Thus, when 2026 began with the film ‘Ikkis,’ which featured his last on-screen presence, the industry and fans felt a sense of sentimentality. In the war drama, Dharmendra had a lot of scenes with ‘The Family Man 3’ actor Jaideep Ahlawat. In an exclusive conversation with us, Jaideep shared all the fond memories of the late star from the sets and highlighted that he felt lucky to share the screen with the legend.
Dharmendra’s demise and the emotional impact
“The whole country, I think, all cinema lovers, there was not a soul who didn’t feel bad,” said Jaideep while speaking about Dharmendra’s demise. “I felt a void while promoting Ikkis. I wish he were there, in all these promotions. He should have been with us to watch this film, to see his work,” he added, recalling the late star.“So, anyway, this is a hollow hypothetical thought. It’s destiny, nothing can be done about it,” expressed the actor.
Jaideep Ahlawat’s emotional account of his time with Dharmendra on the sets of ‘Ikkis’
“You feel lucky to be part of a project where the legend is there,” he said as we started the conversation. “I had a lot of fun working with him. Being with him, I never feel that you are working with such a great legend. He makes you feel like family,” the actor continued before adding, “He was constantly cracking good jokes, making small one-liner jokes, reciting very beautiful poems, telling stories.”“Working with him has made me feel amazing,” said Jaideep.
What’s next for Jaideep Ahlawat?
“Every actor wants to be a part of a good story, to get to play good characters, to keep surprising himself, and not get bored with the art form. So, the aspiration is to keep working, to keep doing good work, to keep surprising myself,” said Jaideep, shedding some light on his dreams as an actor.“There is always an effort. It is not necessary to do it every time. To get a chance to work with good people, to get a chance to be a part of good stories,” concluded the ‘Ikkis’ star.
