5 min readMumbaiUpdated: Apr 30, 2026 07:59 PM IST
Actor Rajeev Khandelwal has been juggling between mediums for quite some time. On Monday, Rajeev returns to TV after almost a decade, but this time as a host for a reality show, Tum Ho Naa. Recently, in an interview with SCREEN, the actor opened up about why he has stayed away from the medium for a long time. He also discussed how reality shows have all been about negativity these days. Rajeev also shared that he is open to playing a romantic character once again after Kahiin Toh Hoga.
‘I kept myself away from TV for a very long time, only because…’
Rajeev Khandelwal will be seen on the small screen after almost a decade. Discussing why he has been away for a long time, Rajeev said, “I have been feeling for a very long time that I need to do something for the television audience. I keep rotating from one medium to another, I don’t plan anything, I experiment with myself. I kept myself away from TV for a very long time, only because it was not offering anything exciting to me. I have been screaming at the top of my voice that I want to do television; I never left the medium. So this show is not coming back to TV; it’s like doing something more for it. Unfortunately, each time I was offered something was a daily soap.”
He further added, “Maybe fiction shows are not doing as well as they did back in the day, but I had consciously kept that audience away for a very long time. They haven’t kept me away, though. Each time I stepped out, I would tell myself that they would have forgotten me by now, but they do not forget you. That is also why that whole feeling of wanting to do something for them, getting offered something I could say yes to, wasn’t happening. I said yes to Tum Ho Na in the first half an hour.”
Rajeev Khandelwal on reality shows today
Rajeev candidly spoke about what other reality shows have to offer today and how his latest Tum Ho Naa is different. He said, “When they offered me the show, it was dedicated to women who would play these cute games. One of them will win some prize money and leave. So I asked what I was supposed to do, then they explained this world to me, and I thought if it was achievable because there are no scandals, no one is being tied or tortured, they are not removing anyone’s negativity. I wondered how this show could be so simple.”
“Then I understood that they were trying to create this show in an ecosystem where it is all about negativity, toxicity, about creating those moments and forcing people to bring out the worst, so that we enjoy watching their worst. This is a slice-of-life show; it leaves you with a smile. We are not doing something cliched or manufactured to be sweet,” Rajeev added.
Rajeev on playing a romantic character again
Even after 23 years, Rajeev Khandelwal is celebrated for his character Sujal in Kahiin To Hoga. Sharing if he would be open to play a romantic character again, Rajeev said, “So many people have come and told me to do a romantic character, my director on this show saw a visual of mine and had a script ready in his head. He came up with a beautiful love story. Maybe if someone comes to me with something that is appropriate to my age and my sensibility, I would love to do it. But I am not intentionally working towards it.”
Story continues below this ad
The actor also spoke about iconic shows making a comeback on television. Talking to MidDay, Rajeev said, “I wouldn’t touch anything because the stories were complete. I don’t want to rekindle anything and ruin those shows by just creating a world around them. I’m not going to come with Kahiin Toh Hoga Season 2. You will never see me in a daily soap. That was what I said… I will never be a part of a daily soap. I will never do it again. And… in 2026, I’ll still say the same. You will never see me in a daily soap. Never, ever.”
On the work front, while Rajeev doesn’t know what he will do next, before Tum Ho Naa, he was seen in the web series Amar Vishwas.
Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: