Beyond God & Godfather!stardust may 2014
He is not a regular actor. And that's what makes him different. To begin with, he doesn't have a publicist, and neither intends to hire one. "I tried that route. But realised that they complicate things," says RAJEEV KHANDELWAL. He was on a weekend trip to Alibaug with his wife Manjiri. "Let's catch up the day we return from Alibaug," he says. Braving the summer heat,
Dev Advani travels all the way to Mumbai suburbs to meet the reticent actor. Over a glass of fresh lime juice, he speaks about everything under the sun. Read how Rajeev embraced yorkers, bouncers and googlies thrown at him.
Of late, you are doing fewer films. Is it a conscious decision not to work in more than one film every year? I haven't taken an oath. I am not very choosy about what I want, but I know where my strength lies. I feel bad when my fans say that they want to see more of me. I also want to do more work. I am not someone who will go up to my fans and say
main toh ek hi film karunga, aapko dekhni hai toh dekho.' With the changing times, I am sure I will be approached with four to five scripts a year out of which, I will say yes to at least three.
Since you come from a non-filmy background, tell us about your share of struggle? When I used to go for auditions, I used to see 300 better looking people than me. I didn't have money for my portfolio. I got my pictures clicked by my friends. At times, I started believing that
auditions fake hote hain;
main nahi dunga. When I auditioned for
Kahiin To Hoga, there were approximately 700 to 800 people trying their luck. I remember I was just passing by and one of the casting directors looked at me, and asked me to audition for the show. When I got a call that I was selected, it felt amazing. Today also, when I give my first shot, there is anxiety. I want to see spark in my director's eyes when I am giving my take.
Did you always want to become an actor? Yes, I always wanted to act since I was a child. I gave up on acting in college because things were not working out for me. But then, I decided to give an honest shot to acting than regretting later that I didn't try.
Which is your favorite television show? I don't watch daily soaps. I last saw my own show
Kahiin To Hoga to observe how bad I was.
Every actor has a dream of being part of a Yash Raj or a Dharma film. Do you feel the same way? I never dreamt of being a part of a Yash Raj or Dharma film. I dreamt of working with Mr. Yash Chopra. He made the best romantic Bollywood films. I would love to work with Dharma productions. But the kind of stuff I do is different from theirs. We wouldn't gel. After doing films like
Aamir,
Shaitan and
Table No 21, I look for scripts which have something interesting to offer every time. Moreover, I believe that if you are talented, you can make your career without being a part of Yash Raj and Dharma productions. I don't think I can be a part of the typical rom-coms which release every Friday.
Considering you come from a television background, do you still feel a sense of attachment towards the medium? I never left television for films. I left it because it wasn't giving me what I wanted. I just wanted to do different stuff. But yes, I feel sense of attachment towards television. I feel one has to put in a lot of hard work while doing television. But I don't understand why TV is made to look like a poor cousin of films?
You are surrounded by gorgeous women at work. Does your wife approve of you checking out other women or she is over possessive? I look at women and if they are hot and attractive, I tell them. My wife is a brilliant human being and very secure in her head. If I am texting someone that you are looking super hot,' she wouldn't think twice. Getting married doesn't mean that you can't compliment people. It's a lie. Even when you are dating someone, it's not that you will stop finding someone else hot. You will always be surrounded by women who are pretty and hot. When you can find a Hollywood actress hot, you can even find your neighbour hot.
You had somewhere mentioned that you are an atheist and don't worship God. Is there any reason behind it? I come from a family where we do not worship. We don't go to temples. We have a small temple at home, but we don't wake up every morning and light
agarbattis.I have not grown up in such environment. It's only during Diwali we do
puja. That's been the ritual. I used to ask myself that why one has to go to a temple? Is god so selfish that if I don't go to his house, he will not bless me? When I was struggling hard to earn one meal a day, I figured out that I am my own God and ensured that I don't fall prey to bad habits like drinking, smoking and wasting myself. I was my own caretaker. I don't need to pray and offer coconuts to give a good shot. I need to focus on my lines.
Considering you shot to fame with the daily soap Kahiin To Hoga, do you owe your success to Ekta Kapoor? If I have to thank someone, I would thank my friend Deepak Malwankar, who allowed me to stay in his house for a year during my struggling days. I share my success with him. Balaji was instrumental in giving me my first break and holds an important place in my life because I did my first show with them.
What is your current equation with Ekta Kapoor considering you had a fallout with her after you quit Kahiin To Hoga? Would you like to work with her again? I am not in touch with Ekta Kapoor. If Balaji Motion Pictures approaches me with a good script, I would be foolish to say no. And why would I say no to anyone just because some years ago, we had a fallout over a show? I have met Ekta on a few occasions. We are cordial. She has been very encouraging. When my first film
Aamir released, she sent me a message wishing me luck.
But you once stated, "I will not like to work in any of Balaji's serials and don't see myself as a part of any of their projects." Aren't you eating your own words? The kind of stuff that Balaji was doing then was all daily soaps. So, I said that I will not do any of their shows. And I am sure that Balaji wouldn't have worked with me at that time because I had backed out of their show. But we all grow up and mature with age. There were no fights between me and Ekta. There were disagreements about certain things. We had different views. So, we took our way. Ekta has been polite and encouraging. I think Balaji Motion Pictures are experimenting with different things. They are doing good stuff.
You were a part of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Chenab Gandhi, but the film didn't take off unfortunately. What was the reason? Chenab Gandhi, if made, would be a fantastic film. It is one of the most amazing scripts I've ever read. The director and the producer had a fallout. So, it didn't work out. Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan were supposed to be a part of it. I don't know the real reason why the film didn't happen. I still feel the project should be revived.
Did you have a word with Bhansali about the same? Apparently, he wasn't too keen on having you on board for the film? True? If that was the case, he could have replaced me. Why would someone shelve the film? Actually, Vibhu Puri, the director of the movie, was not comfortable working with Mr. Bhansali. This is what I was told. They could choose anyone from the whole industry. A lot of actors were roped in for the movie before I was approached. I think a great script like that could be made with anyone. It is one of the best scripts.
What is your equation with Bhansali? I have no equation with him. I have not been in touch with him since
Chenab Gandhi.
What's the update on your films Peter Gaya Kaam Se and Mera Naam Joker? Would these movies ever see the light of day? Peter Gaya Kaam Se...
gayi kaam se. It is shelved. It was produced by UTV and directed by a British guy. Since it was a Hindi movie, there were some creative differences between the production house and the director of how the edit will go. I didn't have a say.
Mera Naam Joker is half shot. Again, there is some issue between the producers.
When do you plan to start a family? Not immediately. May be, a few years later. We have planned a lot of things before we start a family. Also, I want her to pursue what she likes before she brings up a kid.
You are a cleanliness freak. So, do you lose your temper when you find things shrewn around? I have done my house with so much effort that I am addicted walking into a clean house. I ensure that the washroom is clean. At times, I pick up a duster and clean the windows. If the switch board has marks, I clean it using Colin.
Often it happens that actors don't disclose about their marriage in public as it hampers their career somewhere. So, is this one of the reasons why you keep your married life a secret? I never kept my marriage a secret. When I started dating Manjiri, I had made it clear that I am dating someone outside the industry. I didn't let the
cameras come for my wedding because I didn't want my wife to get conscious or my father-in-law to pose for the shutterbugs.
Anupamaa
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