Actor Jaideep Ahlawat recently opened up about stardom and acting prowess in a candid interview with Lallantop, where he offered a nuanced take on how talent alone may not guarantee a superstar status in the film industry. Comparing Ranbir Kapoor to Shah Rukh Khan, Jaideep acknowledged Ranbir’s brilliance but suggested he might not scale the same heights of fame as SRK.
“I’m too small a person to judge someone like Shah Rukh Khan or Ranbir Kapoor,” Jaideep humbly began, responding to a question about why intellectuals sometimes overlook SRK in lists of great actors. He went on to explain that stardom is a different beast altogether — one that doesn’t rely solely on acting skill. “Popularity and stardom are separate things, though an actor can certainly possess both,” he said.
Speaking about Ranbir, Jaideep said, “Ranbir Kapoor is a brilliant actor, no doubt. But perhaps he won’t become as big as Shah Rukh Khan. What made Shah Rukh Khan who he is today is not just acting—it’s the emotional connect he has built with audiences over decades. Just talent in acting doesn’t always make someone a huge star.”
Interestingly, Jaideep also confirmed that he turned down a role in Ramayana, which stars Ranbir. He had previously worked with Ranbir in Rockstar (2011), where he played the actor’s elder brother.
On the professional front, Jaideep is set to appear in King, starring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead and directed by Siddharth Anand. The film boasts an ensemble cast featuring Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Abhay Verma, and Suhana Khan.