Rajeev Khandelwal Reveals Sanjay Leela Bhansali Made Him Wait A Year For Film That Never Happened

Rajeev Khandelwal was set to play the lead in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali production, but the film, titled ‘Chenab Gandhi,’ never materialized. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Rajeev expressed his admiration for the script and recounted his experience of being kept in the dark as the project fell apart.

Rajeev shared, “Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a very respected director. I met him around 2009-2010, and he liked my look at the time. I was excited and told him to let me know if he wanted me for the role. After 15 days, he confirmed that I was chosen for the character. Vibhu Puri, the director of the film, narrated the script to me, and I was blown away by it. Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan were also part of the film. I didn’t want to let this opportunity go, not just because it was a Bhansali film, but because the script was so incredible that I felt nothing could go wrong. I even did a photoshoot with Vidya for the poster.”

The actor continued, “The film never took off, and though it might sound unreal, this is how I handle life. When I was eventually informed that the film was not happening, I reminded myself that such things happen to everyone. It’s part of the industry, so I moved on. I was excited about the project, ‘Chenab Gandhi,’ and it will always be memorable. The only painful aspect was the lack of communication about the project’s status. When I finally heard it was canceled, I moved on without depression or complaints. I felt my time was wasted for a year, but I was willing to invest that time in the project, the makers, and the cast. It’s a part of everyone’s journey in this field. It was meant to be.”

Meanwhile, Sanjay Leela Bhansali recently made his OTT debut with the Netflix series “Heeramandi,” set against the backdrop of the Indian independence revolution. The show depicts the conflict between the courtesans of Lahore’s red-light district, Heeramandi, and British officials. The star-studded cast includes Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman. A second season of the show has already been announced.