Rajeev Khandelwal is well-known for his acting skills and killer, handsome looks. In addition, he became a household name for his stint in the films like Aamir, Shaitan, Soundtrack and Table No 21 and many more. Besides this, Rajeev was also part of many TV shows in the lead roles or as a host. However, in an interview, Rajeev opened up about the dark side of Bollywood and revealed his experience of facing the casting couch.
In an interview with India Today, Rajeev Khandelwal mentioned how men also face the casting couch problems in the film industry, just like women. However, unlike women, men don't report it due to society's opinion about the issue. According to him, society feels that men can easily cope with the traumatic experiences of their careers. Rajeev said:
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“People talk about women’s safety, but men, too, have their own challenges. Men don’t report it as much and women’s things get a lot of momentum. Having said that, I have also faced casting couch. For some odd reason, our society feels ‘Ha theek hain, ladka hain, manage kar liya hoga isne’.”
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In the same conversation, Rajeev mentioned that, according to him, men have different emotional responses towards such problems. While women tend to feel dirty after such incidents, he, on the other hand, didn't feel something of a similar kind. Instead, Rajeev revealed how he dealt with the situation. The actor mentioned that he abused that person in his head, which changed things for him. Rajeev added:
“Men, I think, can overcome. They are made like that, I believe. Tomorrow, if I go through casting couch.. I have said it in the past also.. but you come back and say, ‘Oh, I have dealt with it and I am back’. I have heard from a lot of women that they feel dirty from inside. I didn’t feel dirty from inside. In my head, I abused that person and said ‘Sorry boss, I am not going to give in to that’. Men and women are made differently but things have changed drastically.”
Earlier, in another interview with a leading portal, Rajeev was asked how he used to choose roles for films, digital platforms or television shows. To this, Rajeev remarked that he always follows his heart. Rajeev also revealed that since he has managed and survived without being worried about what he will do next, whenever he feels confused, he used to look back at his work and the path he has already travelled. However, he mentioned not having a fixed plan or a blueprint about what he wanted to do and reach there. All he does is, whenever possible, to work for a sense of fulfilment and contentment that he did something right in his life.
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For the uninitiated ones, Rajeev Khandelwal tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend, Manjiri Kamtikar on February 7, 2011. The duo met in a pub, and their opposite nature attracted Rajeev the most about her. However, Manjiri didn’t notice him initially, which made Rajeev even more headstrong to get her attention all his life. In addition, Rajeev also adopted a five-year-old girl named Swati in 2007 from an institute called Muskaan. Reminiscing about the proposal, Rajeev shared a special moment of his life on his show, JuzzBaatt...Sangeen Se Namkeen Tak. He shared:
"I proposed to Manjiri on the day of our engagement. There were conversations happening in the media about our relationship and I had no choice but to tell her parents. I messaged to Manjiri's father and told him that I want to get married to her. Her father replied that he will discuss it with Manjiri's mother and the rest as we all know is history. I'm happily married to her now."
On the work front, Rajeev Khandelwal was recently seen as an antagonist in the film, Bloody Daddy, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, co-starring Shahid Kapoor.
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