Rajeev Khandelwal is back with a bang on television with Star Plus' new reality show Sach Ka Saamna, albeit as a host. Srabanti Chakrabarti speaks to Khandelwal on everything right from his career to his love life
Welcome back to television. What made you come back to the small screen?
Thank You! To be frank, I was not very keen on doing another show on television and had initially thought of saying not doing it, when I was first approached. But producer, Siddharth Basu gave me a CD with some episodes of The Moment of Truth and requested that I went home and watched a few episodes. I did as suggested and after that, just had to agree. I was hooked to the concept. I felt this was something I would really enjoy doing. And when I heard the questions that would be asked, I felt everyone could relate to them.
Why did you leave television?
I was not happy with the way daily soaps were being made. There were negativity and bad vibes that most serials were portraying. I did not want to be part of that. Sach Ka Saamna is completely different from that. It is challenging, exciting and unique.
But even Sach' has a negative factor too. There have been stories of marriages breaking because of revelations in The Moment of Truth. What stops something similar happening in Sach'?
A marriage or any other relationship cannot be built on the foundation of lies. Truth has to prevail, sooner or later. And through this show we are just allowing truth to come out. I feel this is an extremely positive show where people can sort out their differences after knowing the truth. On one hand, we advocate truth, but on the other hand, we criticise a show that inspires people to be truthful. I don't think that is fair. We are not making fun of people or selling their secrets on television. We are helping them speak the truth. And by doing this, I feel we may end up saving many relationships.
Do you find it difficult to ask such ultra-personal questions to contestants?
It is difficult. There are questions, which I feel extremely uncomfortable with. In those situations, I tell that participant whether I should go ahead or not. If he approves, I ask. There are instances when I want the participant to do well, but at the same time I know the question can wreak havoc in his family ' it becomes very difficult to stay emotionally detached. I am getting used to it. I think, more than emotional detachment, hosting this show requires one to be non-judgmental. The participant may confess something which I may not like. But instead of being judgmental, it is important to praise the courage of the person.
If you were not hosting the show, would you be a participant?
(Smiles) The day I decide to move out of public life, I will be on the show. But till the time I am a celebrity, I would prefer avoiding it. As a celebrity, we try our best to hold on to our private lives. I would not like that to become public at this point of time.
Your return to television is also leading to obvious questions including the one on your film career. Is everything ok on the film front after the success of Aamir?
Yes, of course ' everything is going on as planned. I have enough on my plate to keep me busy. My second film ' Peter Gaya Kaam Se is almost over and it will be released within the next few months. Then there is Return Gift, directed by Saurabh Narang. Work has already started on that. I came back to television because of this fantastic show, not because of any other reason.
There were rumours of your producers not agreeing to you anchoring Sach Ka Saamna'
(Smiles) The long hairstyle that I sport now is part of my look for Peter Gaya Kaam Se. Though my look in the film is much wilder, initially my film's producers were hesitant as the new look would be out of the closet and that I would be overexposed on television. But later, when they learned that I would be hosting the remake of The Moment of Truth, they immediately agreed. So it was not really an issue. Everyone is happy about my comeback with Sach'
Last, but not the least, will you invite Aamna Shariff, your former lady love to the show?
Please, let me come out of Sujal's (his character name in the soap Kahiin To Hoga) image and his romance with Kasish (Aamna). I have moved on since then. I don't even remember when I met Aamna last. Currently there is someone else in my life.
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