On World Cycling Day, Rajeev Khandelwal shares his connection with cycling that began in his childhood days while growing up in army cantonments. The actor also talks about how he loves to explore new destinations on two wheels.

Recalling his earliest cycling memories, Rajeev says, “I’m an army kid and I spent my early days growing up in army cantonments. All the jawans who worked with my father had cycles and they would drop me to school on their cycles with me sitting ahead. Sometimes I cycled too, and that’s how I learnt —with the jawans. Those are my earliest memories of riding, and it was so much fun. We’d also cycle to get milk for my mom. Those were such simple, beautiful moments.”

Even today, cycling remains a part of his routine, “In Mumbai, I cycle to the gym and that’s the most I can manage. There are very few cycle-friendly roads in the city, and often people recognize me, so it gets tough. But I still prefer using the cycle whenever I can. There should definitely be more cycle-friendly roads and zones. I think a lot more people would take it up seriously. In a city like Mumbai, it can really help with beating the traffic and getting around short distances easily.”

He adds, “A while back, some friends and I went to Sanjay Gandhi National Park with our cycles, but even there, it wasn’t very enjoyable. People don’t really give space to cyclists. I understand that everyone’s in a rush, but it makes it difficult for cycling to be stress-free.”

When he travels abroad, cycling is his go-to way of exploring the destination. “Whenever we go abroad, Manjiri (wife) and I like to explore the place on cycles. Even in Switzerland, we spent an entire day on bicycles. We carried the cycles onto trains, got off at new towns and explored them on two wheels. That experience has stayed with me. Cycling is the best way to explore a new place. For me, cycling is not just about fitness. When I’m cycling, there is a certain peace that I feel as the breeze hits my face. A calm sets in and you feel totally in control of the moment."

Actor Rajeev Khandelwal first met his wife, Manjiri Khandelwal, through his close friend Mamta Sengupta (Manjiri’s elder sister) in 2008. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, the couple who celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on Friday, open up about their swoon-worthy romance in an exclusive interview with us.

Talking about what he admires the most in his wife, the 49-year-old shares, “She is very comfortable in her space and a very confident person. So, I just wanted someone strong and independent and she is all of that!”

While many say that love is not enough for a marriage to work, the actor disagrees. “I need to wake up next to her every morning. So, just the thought of seeing each other’s face every day is enough for me,” shares Rajeev, still smitten in love as ever.

For her part, recalling their first meeting, Manjiri shares, “The first meeting was just a casual and fun one. But it was the second time, during the screening of his film Aamir (2008), where I spent a considerable amount of time with him and got to know him.”

Talking about living with his fame, she adds, “I think in the initial stages of dating it was a bit unnerving to get all that attention. But honestly, I have always loved the fact that he gets so much love.” 

Recalling one such day, where Manjiri was welcoming of his spotlight, Rajeev shares, “On my birthday, when we returned home, many fans were waiting outside. But Manjiri was very cooperative and said, ‘They’re your fans and I want you to interact with them. This is their moment’.”

Playing a cocky Bollywood superstar can be fun. But when Rajeev Khandelwal was offered the role in Showtime, he approached it with equal parts curiosity and skepticism, as it was a departure from anything he had played before. As the second part of the drama premières online, the actor’s doubts have been laid to rest.

People see me as intense and romantic, but this was completely [divorced from] the characters I have played. So, this praise has been unexpected. When your peers find you convincing, it feels great. When my wife said, ‘I loved your cockiness,’ it felt as if the appreciation coming my way is justified,” he chuckles.

From Bollywood’s drama-ridden corridors in Showtime, Khandelwal is now gearing up for a treasure hunt of sorts with his next Disney+ Hotstar show. The yet-untitled series, helmed by Munjya maker Aditya Sarpotdar, is an adaptation of Marathi novel Pratipashchandra. For the actor, the highlight is working with Sarpotdar. “There are people who want to bring another side to you [on screen]. Aditya is one of them. In this series, he will perform more than us because it’s all about storytelling. I keep telling him, ‘You had Munjya and Kakuda. Now, make this as big as Munjya,’” he laughs.

In a career spanning over two decades, Khandelwal has followed his own rules, be it transitioning to films at the peak of his TV career or taking regular breaks. “There is no safe way to approach anything. If you have [talent] and experiment, you will fall and rise, but you have to believe in yourself. Don’t believe in what others say. It is good to know that I didn’t corrupt myself.”

The year seems to be looking good for Manjari Fadnnis. After the recently released psychological thriller, Masoom, the actor is gearing up for the release of a “mad, crazy story” with Miya, Biwi Aur Murder. “It’s about a dysfunctional marriage and how one night changes everything,” says Fadnnis, who plays a bored housewife to cop-husband Rajeev Khandelwal’s character in the MX Player series.

Ask her what drew her to the role, and Fadnnis attributes it to her character’s quirkiness. “My character is wacky and quirky. She has a [deep] knowledge about forensics and her investigative [deductions] are bang on. She manages to come up with brilliant ideas in every situation,” says the actor of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na fame.

Stating that she tried to keep the character real, she adds, “I didn’t feel the need to act funny because the script [led to comic situations]. I enjoyed myself, and the camera captured it beautifully.”

Teaming up with Khandelwal was sheer joy for the actor. It wasn’t without its funny moments. “[I remember] someone randomly congratulated me on my wedding with Rajeev Khandelwal, and I was shocked to hear that. I realised much later that his wife [Manjiri Kamtikar] and I share the same name.” 

Elaborating on the mistaken identities, Khandelwal says that his wife and his co-star have now become “good friends”. “I was apprehensive of how the media would perceive us as we were working together, but there was no stress. My wife is cool with me doing intimate scenes [with co-actors]. It never felt like I met Manjari for the first time.”

Fadnnis also heaps praise on her co-actor, stating, “He is a real and grounded. We are like-minded people.”