By Palash Srivastava

New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI): Actor Rajeev Khandelwal was one of the most loved faces of the Indian households during his tenure in the daily soap 'Kahiin to Hoga' before he abruptly exited the show in 2005.

Rajeev's abrupt exit and the subsequent assumptions of the reasons behind it became one of the most discussed topics in the entertainment industry in 2005. Two decades later, the actor has opened up about his exit from the show and how it affected his life and career.

In an interview with ANI, Rajeev Khandelwal recalled the early speculations from the people after his exit from the show while highlighting his own clarity behind the choice.

Rajeev Khandelwal said, 'I knew my decision. I don't have to look back to mull over it. I think it's for those who had all kinds of versions of why Rajeev had quit. At that time, everyone had a viewpoint like, 'he had left this because he wanted to do films. He has left it because he thinks he is bigger than his boots'. Everyone had their own version of why I had left.'

He continued, 'Nobody was willing to believe my version, which was the most honest version of why I am quitting that show. Now, when I look back, I think it's for them, for all those who actually thought that no, no, he is lying. I knew then, and I knew even now, why I had left that show. I think I have given them enough reasons to actually believe that their thinking was very short-sighted and not mine. I think I have proven to them that listen what I had said 20 years ago. I have probably lived my life the way I wanted to live my life.'

The 'Table No 21' actor called his exit a defining moment of his life, helping him to develop the courage to resist 'temptations' and discover a new path to his career.

Rajeev said, 'Quitting really helped me. It helped me shape my decisions in life. It gave me enough courage to say no to a lot of temptations in life. It helped me to believe that there is not just one way of approaching something. There is nothing like there is only one way about a career. In a sense, when you come to my industry (entertainment), there are many people who would actually say that this has to be done. It's all about the show. It's a glam world. It's a show world. Everything has to be showy.'

He continued, 'And I said, OK, that's your version of it. Maybe I'll create mine, and someday somebody will probably give my example to those who want to step in. There are many ways of doing it. So you create your own approach to it, and I created my own approach, and I have lived with it.'

Meanwhile, actor Rajeev Khandelwal is set to return to television with the show 'Tum Ho Naa', which premieres on Sony Television today.

Rajeev was earlier seen in the television series 'The Secret of the Shiledars', which also starred Sai Tamhankar in the lead roles. It is currently streaming on Jio Hotstar. (ANI)