Rag Rag Mein Travel & Adventure... - Rajeev Khandelwal FC - Page 9

Actor Rajeev Khandelwal's new show is a reflection of his belief in the commonality of people, says Saimi Sattar

Dressed in a white shirt, black trousers and matching jacket with a trumpet-shaped lapel pin and a grey stole casually flung across his neck, Rajeev Khandelwal walks into the room minus any airs. And it is this ordinariness the actor can't help but emphasise upon every few minutes that his new show, JuzzBaat...Sangeen Se Namkeen Tak is based upon."I have always maintained that we are similar. All of us live our lives whether it is a politician or a journalist or an actor all of them are busy earning a living and looking after their families. Everyone has emotions including the celebrities. People often feel that a celebrity has different emotions but that is not true. Right now I might be dressed up well, he says pointing to his attire and goes on to add, "but at home, I would be dressed in shorts and a vest. Khandelwal is emphatic that somewhere the show would make the viewers feel good, connected and get the confidence that there are problems in everyone's life. The show would feature guests from different fields sports, films and other arenas who have struggled and made it. And there is another thing that the actor is very passionate about that of being labelled as just an actor without prefixes. "I have an objection to these slots. Everyone is an actor whether it is someone doing theatre or movies or TV. Actor it is. When we go to a hospital, we come to know that this a dentist or a cardiologist, but when we talk to them we say Doctor Sahab aa gae. And it is for this reason that he wants to give the TV personalities a platform. "A film actor, even if he has done one flop project, gets a better platform than a TV actor. Yet TV actors work that much harder. In 100 days, they do 50 episodes while only one film is made in 100 days. The ability of an actor working on TV to engage his/her audience is much more and sometimes so is the talent. But perception wise, they are considered small. That is the reason I feel that we should watch their lives, he says. The actor, who started his career with a negative role in the serial Kya Hadsa Kya Haqeeqat (2002), became a heartthrob with Kahiin to Hoga as Sujal Grewal in the same year. But it was with his portrayal of Aamir in the eponymously named movie that Khandelwal got both critical and popular acclaim. He also got a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for the movie. And successively in Shaitaan, Table No. 21, irrespective of the box office records, Khandelwal's performance has been appreciated. He returned to TV with Sach Ka Saamna, a game show which again became very popular. Reporters, a show with Kritika Kamra, which received good reviews was aired in 2015. Khandelwal has also done a web series and is not very particular about the platform. "There is no difference in the medium. One does not act small in TV and even smaller in the web series as opposed to movies, he says. And this is a grouse that he holds. "People would say TV actor, when I was doing serials. When I switched to films, they said TV actor or TV heart throb Rajeev Khandelwal is doing films. After several movies when I did Sach ka Saamna, it was back to small screen sensation returns to the medium. So now I want to confuse them what will you call me, a TV actor, a film actor or a web actor? I am just an actor. That's my job. You cannot limit my personality to one thing. The media creates the perception. Things have changed and I am happy to be in the space doing different things. I will always pick up projects and then think of the medium, he asserts as he holds up the phone to ensure that it records his point of view better. But coming back to the show, Khandelwal feels that there are several things that make it unique. "I felt that for a long time we haven't seen a show that isn't scandalous and there are no revelations that make their rounds in the news. Sometimes it is the simple stories that have the capability to keep you spell-bound. Whether it is my story or yours when we listen to it without any cosmetics it has the ability to touch hearts. There are emotions involved, says the 42-year-old. Moreover, the format too is different as there isn't any. "There will be no rapid fire or QnA session. The way that the show progresses in each of the 26 episodes depends upon each story. If I feel or the research team feels that a certain aspect needs to come to the forefront then it will progress accordingly, says the anchor of the show. The first episode would feature actor-brothers Ronit and Rohit Roy. As compared to his previous outing, it is emotions that bind both the shows. "Driving Sach ka Saamna was easy as there was a clear format. Here the drive is difficult as there is no clear road. JuzzBaat... will take its own course. It will develop as we talk, he says. And there is a reason why he picked up this show despite not watching TV any more having switched to the digital platform. "There are die-hard television loyalists. We do not have too many talk shows which bring out the real side of the celebrity. I don't say that I am a magician but I know that I have the ability to connect with people. Personally I am an ordinary regular guy. And it is that belief translates into the show when you see the other side of the celebrity, he says. The show would also be available on Zee5, the digital platform.Khandelwal says that there is a reason why viewers should log in. "Somewhere there is a human connect. I was so happy with the way the show with actor Divyanka Tripathi came out for I am sure there would be at least 10 girls if not millions who would watch her and say that if she can go through a bad patch and come out of it, so can I, says Khandelwal, as he walks off, comfortable in his extraordinary ordinariness.