Rajiv Mehta, best known for his character Praful Parekh from the TV show Khichdi, says Indian television lacks good comedy shows today. He says, “When I was offered Khichdi many years ago, I had done comedy only on stage. It was a challenge because Hansa (Supriya Pathak) and I had to play duffers in the show. And I had to play the character with confidence. I give credit to the writing because it was not easy to pull off something like that. I think its the casting and script, which made the show a huge success. Now, we don’t see such comedy shows on TV anymore.”

Rajiv says he does not want to act in a TV show. “It is not easy to do a 12-14 hour shift. Of course, if a role can give me immense job satisfaction, I am willing to undergo any number of hectic days, but I don’t see anything exciting on TV these days. The shows are boring and predictable,” says the actor, who is currently focusing on films and OTT shows.”

His film Khichdi 2, which released last November, did not connect with masses. He admits saying, "There were no stars in the film. Today, a viewer spends money to watch a film in a theatre for a star. Occasionally there could be a good film doing well but I have realized that the success of a film and the content are never interrelated. I watched Pathaan recently and didn't find the film to be extraordinary but it did great business. On the other hand, I watched Manoj Bajpayee film Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and I loved it. Manoj is again an underrated actor, who is getting his due now."