This Article is From Dec 10, 2012

I'm not overtly ambitious: Rajeev Khandelwal

I'm not overtly ambitious: Rajeev Khandelwal

He said, "Whatever good I’ve done in my career, I don’t want to wipe that off with some bad decisions taken in panic."

Highlights

  • Telly actors moving to the big screen is not new in the industry. However, Rajeev Khandelwal managed to carve a space for himself in Bollywood right with his debut film Aamir. After a gap of more than a year, he’ll be seen next in the action thriller Table No.21. In a tete-a-tete, the Jaipur-born actor talks about his career, co-stars and cinema.
  • Question: Don’t you fear being stereotyped as a serious actor?
  • Rajeev Khandelwal: Not really. I’m just doing a different kind of cinema. It’s funny how those who told me that I wouldn’t be able to break the romantic image I created on TV are now saying that I’m doing serious roles (smiles). Talking of films, I’m still waiting for a classical romance to come my way. Until that happens, I’m going to continue with movies that excite my sensibilities.
  • Question: What kind of roles are you looking forward to?
  • Rajeev Khandelwal: I don’t know what kind of roles I want but I do know what kind of roles I don’t want to do. I could be stupid in my choice but I don’t have a dream role either. If at all, my dream role has to be something that I haven’t dreamt of yet something that piques my interest and makes me sit up while reading the script. I stopped dreaming after Aamir because I learned that the best films are the ones from which you expect the least.
  • Question: Your last film Soundtrack happened back in 2011. Isn’t that too long a gap?
  • Rajeev Khandelwal: Whatever good I’ve done in my career, I don’t want to wipe that off with some bad decisions taken in panic. Besides I have plenty of time and I’m not insecure. I’m patient enough to stay away from the limelight. I’m not overtly ambitious either and I don’t see myself in a race against time or fellow actors.
  • Question: Talking of co-stars, how was it working with Paresh Rawal?
  • Rajeev Khandelwal: Pareshji has been very kind to me. He was the first senior actor to applaud me for my performance in Aamir. From being a fan to working with him has been nothing short of a wish come true.
  • Question: Will you go back to television?
  • Rajeev Khandelwal: As of now I don’t have any plan in place but if something interesting happens, I’ll surely go ahead. After all, didn’t I go back to Sach Ka Saamna right after my debut film? I owe it to the small town folks who still write to me saying that they’d love to see me in TV shows. Having said that, I’m here to stay.
Mumbai: Telly actors moving to the big screen is not new in the industry. However, Rajeev Khandelwal managed to carve a space for himself in Bollywood right with his debut film Aamir. After a gap of more than a year, he'll be seen next in the action thriller Table No.21. In a tete-a-tete, the Jaipur-born actor talks about his career, co-stars and cinema.

Question: Don't you fear being stereotyped as a serious actor?

Rajeev Khandelwal: Not really. I'm just doing a different kind of cinema. It's funny how those who told me that I wouldn't be able to break the romantic image I created on TV are now saying that I'm doing serious roles (smiles). Talking of films, I'm still waiting for a classical romance to come my way. Until that happens, I'm going to continue with movies that excite my sensibilities.

Question: What kind of roles are you looking forward to?

Rajeev Khandelwal: I don't know what kind of roles I want but I do know what kind of roles I don't want to do. I could be stupid in my choice but I don't have a dream role either. If at all, my dream role has to be something that I haven't dreamt of yet something that piques my interest and makes me sit up while reading the script. I stopped dreaming after Aamir because I learned that the best films are the ones from which you expect the least.

Question: Your last film Soundtrack happened back in 2011. Isn't that too long a gap?

Rajeev Khandelwal: Whatever good I've done in my career, I don't want to wipe that off with some bad decisions taken in panic. Besides I have plenty of time and I'm not insecure. I'm patient enough to stay away from the limelight. I'm not overtly ambitious either and I don't see myself in a race against time or fellow actors.

Question: Talking of co-stars, how was it working with Paresh Rawal?

Rajeev Khandelwal: Pareshji has been very kind to me. He was the first senior actor to applaud me for my performance in Aamir. From being a fan to working with him has been nothing short of a wish come true.

Question: Will you go back to television?

Rajeev Khandelwal: As of now I don't have any plan in place but if something interesting happens, I'll surely go ahead. After all, didn't I go back to Sach Ka Saamna right after my debut film? I owe it to the small town folks who still write to me saying that they'd love to see me in TV shows. Having said that, I'm here to stay.

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