Actor Rajeev Khandelwal recently starred in the web-series Showtime, which taps into the murkier side of showbiz. In an exclusive chat with Free Press Journal, Rajeev opens up on dealing with stardom himself, his journey from television to Bollywood, and more.
Excerpts:
People likened certain traits of your character in Showtime with Shah Rukh Khan. Did he inspire your character?
My character is not purely based on Shah Rukh Khan. It is an amalgamation of majority of our seniors, so-called superstars who have been around for many years. It represents the kind of stardom that our industry sees and the power the stars hold. It is not based on one individual, of course. Certain scenes might remind people of SRK but I assure you that I did not imitate him or try to draw inspiration from him.
Do you relate to your character in Showtime?
There is no similarity between me and my character Armaan, except the fact that we are both actors. He deals with superstardom, and as for me, I know what fame is. I am not new to fame. So that's probably a similarity. But then, he is very flamboyant, I am not. He loves to bask in his glory, I run away from my glory. I don't like to read about myself or being seen too much, whereas Armaan is a narcissist in the truest manner.
What are the challenges that come with being in the public eye?
The major challenge that an actor faces all the time is that people are so judgmental about you without knowing the real side of you. It is easy to pass judgment on an actor because you think you know them, but in reality, you don't know an iota of them. As long as you're judging my character, I am fine, but I am not okay with being judged for the human being I am. It does get frustrating at times because millions would have an opinion about you, but then there's nothing we can do about it.
How would you describe your journey from television to Bollywood, and now OTT?
I may have been one of the first ones, but I never intended to be someone who was proving a point that I was transitioning from television to films. And I have been saying for years now that I never thought films were superior to television. TV is way more challenging than films. The major difference is that in films, the box office numbers come out every day and people get stunned seeing that. But the numbers don't get revealed when it comes to television. The day they give out numbers, television actors will be way bigger than film actors. Unfortunately, people have a very myopic vision of popularity. They believe you're a big actor if you work on the big screen. But in reality, you're a good actor if you can work on every screen. What is the point of having your talent limited to a certain format, a certain medium?
What is the one thing you'd like to change about showbiz?
If I had the power, I would only try and instill some sense in the makers and tell them to be a lot more secure. People call actors insecure, but I think the makers are more insecure. They just follow the waves and trends. If films from small towns are working, then everyone starts making those kinds of films. If action films or horror films work at the box office, everyone starts following the trend. I wish they had a little more security in their ideas and their thoughts.
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