Mumbai: In the Hindi film industry, mostly ruled by the Khans and Kapoors, actor Rajeev Khandelwal is happy that he has been able to make space for himself, without any backing.
He says it is a myth that the film industry is not open to accepting people from outside.
"These are all myths. These are rules made by insecure people... unwritten rules which have led to a perception. I don't think you need to have any kind of backing except your self confidence. Once you believe in yourself, you don't need anything," Rajeev told IANS.
"I don't wish that I had some sort of backing because the fun and the excitement you get (without it) is unparalleled. If things were offered to me on a platter I won't be smiling looking back at my career. There will be ups and downs, but that's what life is about. People should envy you because you charted your own territory," he added.
A successful TV actor thanks to shows like 'Kahiin Toh Hoga' and 'Left Right Left', Rajeev turned to films with 2008 film 'Aamir', and received critical acclaim for his intense performance.
He went on to do films like 'Shaitan' and 'Soundtrack', and will now be seen in 'Table No. 21' with Tena Desae and veteran actor Paresh Rawal.
The film is a thriller, a genre he has already tried. But he admits he doesn't choose his projects based on its genre.
"I just go by my instincts. When I read a script, I see that it should be something which I haven't seen or heard before. This is how I select," he said.
"This film is a thriller, which unveils certain things as the film progresses. But that is not the reason why I picked it up. I don't look at films thinking that these are the kind of films which will work, so I should do them. I go solely by the script," he said.
With more movies joining the Rs 100 crore or even the Rs 200 crore club, Rajeev, who has been part of small or medium budget films, says he is at peace with whatever projects come his way.
"I am satisfied with what I do. If everyone gets into the race, then films like 'Aamir', 'Soundtrack' and 'Shaitan' will not be made. And there are a lot of people who want to watch these films. I don't look at films like business models and I don't want to enter this race," he said.
But the actor feels that since people invest a lot of money in films, they must do well.
"Films must make money as this is an industry where people invest money. But I don't want to be a part of business models where you make a film in a certain manner and release it in a certain manner, just to make money... where we don't look at content and just the collection. I can't overlook the content ever," he said.
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