PremiumRajeev Khandelwal recalls producers declined to bankroll his debut film Aamir - 'They didn't want a...'
Rajeev Khandelwal made his Bollywood debut with Aamir in 2008. The actor recently revealed why producers refused to back the film, directed by Raj Kumar Gupta.
Last Updated: 04.13 PM, Feb 22, 2024
Rajeev Khandelwal rose to fame in the Indian TV space with his shows like Left Right Left and Kahiin Toh Hoga. After his successful journey on the small screen, Rajeev made his Bollywood debut with Aamir in 2008. The film was directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. Sixteen years down the line, Khandelwal revealed why a lot of producers refused to bankroll his first Hindi film.
Why did producers refuse to back Rajeev Khandelwal's film Aamir?
In an interview with News 18, Rajeev Khandelwal revealed that Anurag Kashyap (who was one of the makers of Aamir) went to many producers to finance the film. The director told the producers that he had a very popular TV actor Rajeev on board for the film.
"And all of them said and they said that they didn’t want a popular face. Even if you take a newcomer, it’s fine with us but a TV actor, maybe no," the actor revealed. However, Anurag's conviction in Rajeev made him get a financer for the actor's film. Anurag finally met Vikas Bahl from UTV and later things finalised as both filmmakers believed in him.
Rajeev further mentioned that it is difficult to convince makers to give actors like him an opportunity to showcase to the world that they are much more than how they look at them.
What is Rajeev Khandelwal up to these days?
Meanwhile, Rajeev is currently gearing up for the release of his OTT show, Showtime. The actor has been busy promoting the series, which is directed by Mihir Desai and Archit Kumar. The film is said to be an epic saga of legacy and ambition in the world of cinema. In this series, Rajeev will be seen playing the role of superstar Armaan, which he believes is an amalgamation of many actors.
Rajeev stars in Showtime alongside Emraan Hashmi, Mouni Roy, Naseeruddin Shah, Mahima Makwana, Shriya Saran and Vishal Vashishtha. Created by Sumit Roy, the series is scheduled for an OTT premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on March 8, 2024.