Rajeev Khandelwal On Why He Quit Kahiin Toh Hoga: "People Thought I Locked Horns With Ekta For My Ego"
Rajeev Khandelwal, who became a household name after he featured as Sujal Grewal in the Ekta Kapoor prime-time show Kahiin Toh Hoga, revealed why he left the show at the peak of his career. Rajeev shared he was offered a fat pay cheque when he informed the producers about his decision. But he refused the money as he was desperately looking for an improved "quality" of the show.
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In a recent interview with SCREEN's "Dear Me...", Rajeev recalled how he took the decision of quitting the show. People's love, which made him a star, also became a deterrent factor for him leaving the show.
"When I quit the show, it was only because I couldn't handle it. People loved me so much, and I thought I was not giving them back in terms of quality. That thinking of me being that for them was not working with me. After the character, I did not pick up any character that was similar to Sujal. I didn't want to be known as this romantic guy who was brooding. So I picked up a series called Time Bomb. I was being offered romantic characters in bulk. My well-wishers were telling me to buy one more house, a few cars, by playing such roles. I did Time Bomb, and it did not work; the same people who wrote big stories about me also wrote about my mighty fall with the same gusto," Rajeev shared.
Rajeev Khandelwal added, "People wrote things like, 'he has become too big for his boots', but nobody knew the truth. What came across was that I locked horns with Ekta, that I am leaving her, and I must be thinking that I have arrived. I quit the show at its peak, refused the money, the popularity, so many thought I was egoistic. After I quit Left Right Left, I also knew I was not going to be offered much work in TV now. I realised no producer would give me work."
Recalling how he was offered a hefty pay cheque, Rajeev said, "I had a lot of fights with the producers; nobody would be happy when you walk out of a show when it's doing well. When I was walking out of Kahiin toh Hoga, I went to Shobha (Kapoor) aunty, at that time, asking to leave the show was perceived as the actor wanted more money, which was also offered to me. They said they will increase my remuneration, and I said reduce it, but give me quality."
About Kahiin Toh Hoga
Headlined by Rajeev Khandelwal and Aamna Sharif, Kahiin Toh Hoga aired on television from September 2003 to February 2007. The show was created by Ekta Kapoor of Balaji Telefilms.
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