Superstars: telly-size:Rajeev

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Shruti

@shruti

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Posted: 19 years ago

Superstars: telly-size

No star sons or protected protgs these. Dipti Nagpaul meets up with TV's heroes.

From chocolate boy features to rugged anti-hero. From years of struggle to accidental success. The tales of these television stars could well make for block busters themselves. And while most of them have an eye out for the big screen, they're making the most of Tellywood glory.

Rajeev Khandelwal: It still feels unreal

The TV industry almost lost actor Rajeev Khandelwal (Kahiin To Hoga) to the armed forces. With a family defence background, it was only natural for this chemistry graduate to apply to the army. And if it weren't for a misplaced application, he may never have seen his face dominating TV screens.As a child, Khandelwal always dreamt of becoming an actor, till they were replaced with more 'sensible' ones: of stable careers in engineering or chartered accountancy. None of that remains, except his love for chemistry—only, it has moved from the lab to TV. Having moved around the country with his soldier-dad, Khandelwal eventually decided to move to Delhi, and then Mumbai, in search of his lost dreams. And now that he's found them, he accepts his stardom nonchalantly. "It still feels unreal. The love of my fans often makes me question: 'Do I really deserve all of this?'" he admits. "I was known as a cute charmer in college. But I was no show-stopper. All this makes me wonder who these people are talking about!" The small-town boy-at-heart revels in his success. His small car has been replaced by a Honda CRV and an Accent. And brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Roberto Cavalli adorn his closet. "I've always been fond of quality products. But even today, I cannot pronounce the names of some of these big brands!" he says.Predictably, the next step is Bollywood, and he claims to have received some offers. "There is a magic that rules the big screen, and I want to see myself on it," he states. "I want to watch a close-up of myself on the screen, to see the smallest of nuances of expressions—and then see if I've done justice to my character. The day I do that, I'll know I'm a great actor."Star struck: It isn't just young girls who flood him with fan mail—and marriage proposals. He has older fans too. "One lady used to SMS her blessings to me every single day, for she considered me her son. It was touching, yet scary; I can't let these people down," he says.