Rajeev Khandelwal is one of the most talented actors in the industry. But sadly sometimes talent doesn’t do everything, you need luck. Recently, Rajeev Khandelwal spoke to Pinkvilla about the documentary film Chenab Gandhi, which was to be directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Khandelwal revealed that while the collaboration created much excitement when it was announced, the project did not move into production as the director eventually decided to pause the film.
Khandelwal shared that he signed the project because of its strong script rather than Bhansali’s reputation. He stated that before signing Chenab Gandhi, he made it clear that he would not commit to the film until he had read the entire script, regardless of who was producing it.
He further explained that he agreed to be part of the film only after multiple discussions and a screen test. After reading the complete script, he felt it was a powerful story that deserved to be told on screen and could not refuse the opportunity. The film was set to narrate the story of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the legendary freedom fighter also known as Frontier Gandhi. However, reports at the time suggested that the ambitious project was eventually paused following Bhansali’s fallout with his then assistant Vibhu Puri, who was expected to make his directorial debut with the film.
Khandelwal expressed no regret about his involvement in the project and clarified that he has never been driven by the desire to work with established stars or chase commercial success. Over the years, he has turned down several high profile projects that did not align with his creative expectations. For him, meaningful storytelling has always been more important than visibility or box office numbers.
Sharing another experience from his career, he mentioned a similar situation but chose not to name the film as it was very popular. Rajeev revealed that he once asked a well known director for a screen test and insisted on reading the script before committing. Although the director felt Rajeev was perfect for the role, he declined after reading the script as it did not match his interests.
He recalled briefly regretting his decision when the film was heavily promoted ahead of its release. The actor who eventually played the role was widely loved by audiences but later passed away. However, when the film released, it failed at the box office. Looking back, Rajeev felt reassured that he had made the right choice by trusting his instincts.
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