For over two decades, Rajeev Khandelwal has moved between television, films and OTT without subscribing to a fixed path. Looking back at his early decision to step away from daily soaps at the peak of his popularity, he frames it less as a risk and more as instinct.

“I’ve only been driven by my gut, not by what’s supposed to be done in this industry,” he says, dismissing the idea that shifting mediums is inherently difficult. “Anyone who says something is tough is probably thinking about a journey they haven’t even embarked on. That is a sign of a lack of self-confidence.”

From Kahiin To Hoga to Shaitaan, Rajeev has often been associated with emotionally intense characters. But he insists the image was never consciously cultivated. “People approach me with complex characters,” he says, adding that projects like Showtime allowed him to experiment with lighter shades. “People think I’m very intense or introverted, but I simply choose to live like that. Not everything needs to be exhibited.”

Still, there are genres he hopes to explore further. “I would love to play a hardcore negative character, but not a caricature. I want that character to have a soul and genuinely believe he is right,” he says.

Away from the screen too, Rajeev has largely stayed detached from networking culture and the pressure of constant visibility on social media. “Today, I would say it did not matter. It’s been 24 years since I’ve been actively working, so did it really matter? I don’t think so.”

He admits there are moments of self-doubt during professional gaps. “There are times when I wonder, ‘Why was I not cast in that?’ Then one phone call comes along and excites me like a child again. If I wake up excited enough to pack my bags in the morning, then the project is worth doing,” says Rajeev, who is currently enjoying hosting the reality game show Tum Ho Naa - Ghar Ki Superstar. “The show is refreshingly different. Today, most reality shows thrive on conflict, scheming, scandals and drama because that’s what people believe audiences want to watch. But this show stands apart for its simplicity and heart,” he adds.

One piece of advice from a friend continues to anchor him, especially during moments when his unconventional choices were questioned. “Whenever people doubted my decisions, especially when I left a daily soap at its peak — a friend told me, ‘Who made this? If you made this once, then you could make it again’. That thought has stayed with me. Take away everything, and I should still be able to recreate it — if I am truly worthy of the love people have given me,” he says signing off.

The actor remains critical of the industry’s tendency to operate within rigid formulas and preconceived notions. “Corporates work on templates. Ten TV actors didn’t work in films, so suddenly everyone believed that no TV actor can work in films. But it takes just one person to break that pattern,” he says. That thinking also influenced his decision to return to television after films — another move many around him advised against.

“People said doing television again after films is suicide. I said… let’s do it then (laughs). The fun is not in following the trend. The fun is in setting the trend,” shares Rajeev.

His exit from Kahiin To Hoga remains one of Indian television’s most talked-about departures. At the height of his popularity, Rajeev chose to leave the show — a move many considered career suicide at the time. He says, “I realized the kind of love I was receiving would eventually reach a peak and then we would start dragging it. I thought that was cheating the audience. I need to feel deserving of that love. And that cannot happen if I’m stuck on one show for five or six years.”

Rajeev’s transition to films with Aamir happened just as organically. Contrary to industry assumptions, he insists he was never actively pursuing a Bollywood career. “I wasn’t looking for films. I read the script and thought it was excellent. Later, I realized it was a film script, and I was on board,” he recalls.