$DreamRKCCRajeev(RKliciousLand(InvitesOnly)59thRK - Page 35

I am not the kind of guy who gloats over success or gets depressed due to failures. I like staying pretty neutral. I worked quite hard for the film and that has paid off. It's a great feeling that my choice of film has worked once again.

"I don't have a wish list of directors or heroines to work with"

Heightened emotions, intense and melancholic dialogues, extreme close-ups and excessive consumption of glycerin, from all this to a raw, subtle and serious portrayal of real life situations and characters, Rajeev Khandelwal has rubbished pre-conceived notions that television actors don't make for good cinema actors. In fact, he has emerged as a dependable actor whose gritty and intriguing performances have won him many accolades for his on screen acts. In his tete-a-tete with Stardust, the ambitious actor, who's ecstatic with the response that Shaitan has garnered, chats about his next release Soundtrack and reveals his desire to become an indispensible part of youth centric new age cinema.

H is gritty debut, Aamir, made filmmakers sit up and take notice of telly world's then very hot and happening, young and talented lead actor, Rajeev Khandelwal. In cinema, he may not have been the quintessential hero material but his extraordinary choice of scripts did bring him an edge over other hero aspirants. Once again, in yet another unconventional film, Shaitan, Rajeev's performance has this time stood out amidst a crowd of no less talented 'looker' actors. Fresh from the film's success, Rajeev is ecstatic over the response garnered by the film, "I feel overwhelmed and extremely happy that my second film has also done well. I am not the kind of guy who gloats over success or gets depressed due to failures. I like staying pretty neutral. I worked quite hard for the film and that has paid off. It's a great feeling that my choice of film has worked once again. I had really not expected such a tremendous response but I am humbled with all the positive feedback that I have been getting from everyone."

So what's the Shaitan (evil aspect) in Rajeev Khandelwal like? "I sweet talk all my friends whenever they plan to go out, and instead call them over to my place. I like staying at home and eating home cooked food. Even though I promise my friends to visit them, I always end up calling them home. I am a sweet talker and I end up fooling them," he quips. "But there is nothing constantly evil in me. The evil side of mine comes in different forms on different days, like there are times when I am really naughty, or when I am really angry or frustrated. But I am able to identify my shaitan and nib the evil in the bud itself."

With Shaitan, he returns to the silver screen almost after three years. Talking about the long hiatus post Aamir, he says, "I don't know how to answer these whys, I work at my own pace, that's how I follow my career. I like doing things my way. This break wasn't really intended but it just happened. It never bothered me because I was busy doing many other things in life. I had also shot for a film Peter Gaya Kaam Se. I wanted it to be my second release. But due to some reasons it was canned. That's why I hadn't taken any other project. So once I realised that the film is not happening, even though I had shot for it, I decided to work ahead. I started reading scripts, meeting people and that is when I signed my other films."

Some actors sign many projects in a year and are seen in multiple films, whereas Rajeev believes otherwise. He avers that it is more important to concentrate on delivering great performances and regaling the audience with quality films. But much to my amusement, Rajeev informs that he had actually first declined the offer to act in Shaitan. To an extent, filmmaker