Butterflies in the stomach
When AfterHrs asked how did it feel being back in Jaipur, Khandelwal replied with excitement, “I feel at home. Abhi bhi aisa hota hai — the moment I see the aircraft landing, I get butterflies in the stomach. Though I have been staying away from home for 13-14 years, each time I come here I feel excited like ‘Oh my God I can see Jaipur!’ When people at the airport in Jaipur smile at me, I get the feeling that they have a right over me.”
‘I miss a lot of things from Jaipur’
Continuing in the nostalgic mode, Khandelwal added, “I miss a lot things from Jaipur, though it has changed a lot since the time I was here. For example, there were a lot of pyaus (water-booths) that are less now. But I miss Jaipur festivals like Holi and Diwali; I miss the winters here and, to be precise, I miss the Pink of the Pink City.”
‘Proud to see Jaipur people in industry’
After Khandelwal made the City of Dreams his second home, many people — taking him to be their idol — got into acting, which makes the actor proud. Turn to AH4
‘I miss the Pink of Pink City’
Actor Rajeev Khandelwal shares the excitement upon returning to Jaipur and feels people here have a right over
“I know many people from Jaipur working in serials or films. They used to tell me that they want to be like me; they want to do something and I would ask them to work hard. They are working hard, which makes me feel so good and proud.”
No reality shows
At a time when most celebs are busy doing one reality show or the other, Khandelwal has no plans to take up any such projects. “I had said 10 years earlier that I’m not going to participate in any reality show ever and I am still not looking at doing that. Haan agar host karna hoga toh I will do that,” he revealed.
Only the projects that excite him
Khandelwal, known to take up selected projects, shared with After Hrs, “I only take up projects that excite me — be it television or films. I haven’t got any offers for television that have appealed to me, but you will get to see me in two more films apart from Fever. This year, I have a total of two releases — Fever, which is releasing on August 5 and Pranam that is releasing at the end of this year. Meanwhile, if I get something exciting in television, I will also do that.”
‘Thrillers excite me’
Having done a number of thriller films so far, Khandelwal finds it a challenging genre for an actor. “I work in thrillers because these excite me. You don’t have dialogues to express your feelings; it’s just your expressions that depict everything,” he explained. The actor also shared that he will be soon seen in a film that is neither a thriller nor a suspense film, but a simple story straight from the heart. He will also be seen doing comedy in that film.
Though he’s been away for quite some time now, city lad Rajeev Khandelwal remains a true-blue Jaipurite till date. With a journey that boasts of a line-up of popular television shows and critically-acclaimed movies like Aamir and Table No 21, he still feels overwhelmed whenever he is in the Pink City. Here on Thursday along with Gauahar Khan to promote the upcoming Fever, Khandelwal spoke to After Hrs at length about the film and his homecoming.
