Romantic roles on Rajeev Khandelwal's mind

Actor Rajeev Khandelwal made an unconventional debut in Bollywood with the 2008 thriller "Aamir" and later did "Shaitan" and "Soundtrack". Now he is keen to do romantic roles, but not run-of-the-mill type, he clarifies.

Rajeev, who started his acting journey with TV soap "Kahiin...To Hoga", a romantic-drama, told IANS: "I am looking forward to doing a romantic film, but my kind of romantic role - something that becomes a reference point for romantic films in future. I want it to be that big."

"Sadly, the offers that I have got till now have not been like that. So I am waiting and hoping that someone writes a good romantic script and I get to do it," he said.

Thanks to his role in "Kahiin...To Hoga", he has a huge female fan following and said his romantic saga will be dedicated to them.

"I also keep getting requests from my female fans, who want me to do a romantic role (on the big screen). So, I want to do it for them," said the 37-year-old who also played an army man in the TV series "Left Right Left", which also had a love track.

His latest film "Table No. 21", which also stars Tena Desae and veteran actor Paresh Rawal, is a thriller, a genre he has already tried.

Was it a conscious decision to avoid romantic roles in films?

"It started off with a conscious decision that I won't make myself a romantic hero on the big screen. I did not want to be known as a lover boy. But when I decided to do films, I was getting offers for romantic roles, but I could never see myself in a typical romantic setup.

"I stayed away and then 'Aamir' happened and I realised the fun of doing a film that has a soul. It was much more fun rather than just running around the trees, though that is also an art," said the actor.

But now Rajeev wants variety and "keep experimenting with myself and my characters".

"I want to be part of films that are not forgotten after viewing once, the ones that I also enjoy watching after I retire," he concluded.