The behind-the-scenes details of being a star are always fascinating, as they become the most loved fodder on social media. The conversations around the entourage and how perception is built around the stars are more prominent now than ever. Rajeev Khandelwal, who has been in the business for over two decades, has seen everything from rise to a phase of oblivion and everything in between. The actor now returns for Showtime, a show where he plays a superstar and goes through everything mentioned above but as a (not so) fictional character. In an exclusive conversation with OTTplay, the actor has spoken about the image-building exercise for stars and how he feels paying people to wave at them is a foolish thing.

Rajeev Khandelwal on Being Honest

Rajeev joined OTTplay for an exclusive chat to talk about his latest show, Showtime, his career, and also adapting to the social media frenzy that the stars are supposed to. While addressing how honesty is one of the biggest virtues he wants to stick to, the actor spoke about how paying people to wave at him is not an idea he aligns with. Read on to know everything you should about the same.

In our exclusive interview, we asked Rajeev Khandelwal about how he continues to stay so honest in a world that thrives on facades. The Showtime star said, “I mean, that's the only way that one is supposed to be, is what I feel. When I look around, I feel maybe that works for them or that suits them. It is very important, I think, for me to be myself because I realize, and I'm not saying that that's a virtue, but that's something that everyone should imbibe. No. This is what works for me because each time I've tried to be dishonest, I have not enjoyed that phase. So it's a tried and tested thing for me to listen, be honest, not to yourself. You're happiest when you are really yourself and the most comfortable at peace.”

He added, “Tomorrow, if I imagine I were to call people when I'm traveling, or if I were to walk with five people with me, I would find myself foolish. Not great because there are people looking at me or the media is like, or I have 10 people waving at me because my managers organized those 10 people. I would feel foolish. I would not feel happy. That fake pride will never appear from somewhere. And I will go, ‘Shameful, Rajeev, shameful.’ I mean, I'd rather have one person there looking at you and saying good things than having 20 people who are waving their hands because they're asked to. I mean, and for me, that I know that one smile, the strength in that one smile is way more than a combined wave of 25 people.”

Rajeev Khandelwal on Social Media & Followers

In the same conversation, Rajeev Khandelwal also spoke about whether he can adapt to the idea of social media being the parameter for getting a project. “No, I can't adapt to it. I don't look at it with a lot of respect either, to be honest. I look at it with the real approach, and the approach is that change is the only constant thing, let's say. And change is bound to happen. For me, this is not a change. For me, this is not a healthy change for the sake of the beauty of our industry. And our beauty is creativity. And of course, creativity rests on a business, but I just feel like with this one, there'll be a lot of creative erosion. Creativity erosion, if I may call it that way, will happen because now it will be numbers, which is happening.”

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