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| INTERVIEW | |
| The Captain's back | |
| Chaya.Unnikrishnan Rajeev Khandelwal may be a rage with the fairer sex, but the good-looking actor doesn't want to cash in on it. Extremely choosy, he does only one show at a time and currently it's Left Right Left on SAB. The channel's smaller reach and viewership doesn't perturb him as he thrives on taking risks. Remember he was the first actor to leave a popular soap (Kaahin To Hoga) at its peak. And now with LRL back after a break, Rajiv's looking at drawing the couch potatoes, a second time round.... You must be apprehensive about wooing viewers back to your show Left Right Left after the enforced break due to Cricket World Cup? I am apprehensive, yes, but not about the viewership. I am confident that in the first week itself Left Right Left will get a good rating. That's because the show has worked in the first season and I feel safer this time around. What I am apprehensive about is the viewers' expectations. One can promise a lot of things but there is no guarantee that the end result will be liked by the viewer. Are there going to be any changes in the serial? No, there will be no visible change in the storyline, characters or the look. We will retain the flavour of the serial, but from now on it will be fast-paced. Shweta Salve is not part of the serial anymore. Her character had to die as per the storyline. What about you? Will you continue as Rajveer for long? Well that depends on the writers. I have requested them not to be greedy and drag it because people are liking it. So, what is in store for Rajveer? Without revealing the storyline I can tell you that there will be a drastic change. Rajveer will do his bit in the academy and then the character will come to an end. (Laughs) No, and I am not going to say more than that. Are you looking at doing any more serials? Not right now. I am more than happy doing one serial at a time. I am not as talented as other actors to do two different roles simultaneously. Also, I love spending time with myself. I take a break every once in a while to go on a holiday. I am into adventure sports like river-rafting, rock-climbing and trekking. Secondly, if people were to watch me in three different serials at a time, I think I would lose my charm. As for money, I am pretty comfortable with my two-bedroom flat. Anyway, most of my time is spent in travelling. From April 28 to May 4 I will be away participating in an adventure rally which is not just about driving but climbing mountains and river=rafting. Chetan Hansraj and Rajesh Khera are also a part of it. Don't you think that at this stage in your career you should be doing shows on popular channels with a wider reach? My debut (Kaahin To Hoga) made me famous but Left Right Left has made me successful. For me that is victory. SAB doesn't have a huge viewership and its reach is restricted to India only but despite that my Rajveer is popular. Last week I met a 40 year old man, a corporate guy at the airport and he told me that he was eagerly waiting to watch me in Left Right Left, which is amazing. I can understand girls/ladies saying they like me (actually it's the character I played in the past) but the fact is people are watching and liking LRL. Commercially, a popular channel may have 10 people tuning into it but only two of them liking the show. For me success is when on a small channel even two people watching the serial say "Wow, this is it!" Of all the characters you have played which is the closest to you? I love Rajveer because I hail from a army background. If I didn't like the character I would have done some other serial. Actually, I love all my characters, the romantic Sujal as well as Time Bomb's action-packed detective Awasthi. After Deal Ya No Deal, haven't you got offers for anchoring? I did but I didn't take it up and thank God for that. Don't ask me which show it is, because I am not telling. Deal... was a big challenge for me. I wanted to see my range, and whether I could talk impromptu. Unfortunately by the time I got a hang of it, the show went off air. I had a great time on the last day of the shoot. It was a rocking episode. However, the show wasn't doing well when I had taken over and it did not improve. Next time I will be sensible and won't take up a show that's already on air. What about films? Every actor wants to be in films and so do I. At the same time, I am not in a rush to do one. I will only do a film I believe in. For me, content is the king followed by the maker. I am getting offers and am reading one or two scripts everyday. However,I am still getting third or fourth leads, not good enough for a debut and as I said, I don't want to compromise. It's a different thing altogether whether the film I finally choose works or not but atleast I will be happy and re-invent myself either on TV or films. There's a buzz that a film is being planned with you and Aamna Sheriff? A lot of people want to exploit our popularity and on-screen chemistry but both of us are clear that only if the film requires Rajeev and Aamna as actors will we give the go-ahead. |
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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