He is grilling people on their best kept secrets and luring them with big money to ditch their families, friends and relatives and tell the truth. But now it’s his turn to face the truth, know Rajeev Khandelwal as he confess coming back to television was never on his cards

Why television, when you are now doing Bollywood films?

Actually, I was not ready to host Sach Ka Saamna, for that matter any show. But Babu (Siddharth Basu) insisted me to go and watch the series Moment Of the Truth, and I was instantly hooked. I found it to be really interesting. It’s challenging and exciting; when I go ahead in life and look back, I should feel happy that I didn’t do just run-of-the-mill stuff but also got personal satisfaction.

But didn’t you felt that television might overexpose you?

Yes, initially there were some reservations, as I am doing UTV’s Peter Gaya Kaam Se… the producers did not want my long hair look to be revealed. But after they saw the TV show Moment Of the Truth they agreed and gave me the green signal for the serial. My look is much wilder in the film.

On your show Sach Ka Saamna; it asks very personal questions, are you comfortable with that?

If I am uncomfortable I tell the contestants- the question I will ask makes me feel tight, so you can work out how uncomfortable it will be for you to answer. See, I have not really worked out any character as the host; I just deal with them on human level. It’s not easy to get up and speak the truth, so there is a certain way when I ask those questions; it’s more like a game. The gaming element comes in.

But don’t you think those questions can break real families?

Or it can bring the family close. Why do we all have this negative attitude towards truth? It’s so ironical; we all like to say- let’s speak the truth, but then a show like this happens and it’s said we are breaking families! Should a family survive on lies, for how long will they endure? There are two ways of looking at it. Certain truths if kept inside could be fatal. I say truth is better.

Rajeev, in the promo of the show we saw a family leaving. Don’t you think it’s regressive?

I don’t think so. It’s a part of the bigger picture which will be clear in that episode. You will know why they left and after knowing the truth. This is Agnipariksha. We are not making fun of our contestants or selling someone’s secrets. I dislike regressive show, that’s why I left doing daily soaps.

Is Sach Ka Saamna same as Moment Of the Truth?

No, we adapted to Indian sensibilities and our own sanskriti. We still live in a conservative society; where things are not openly discussed. So, there is a lot of Rajeev the Indian who asks questions. When the person gets too emotional, I ask questions that are in lighter vein; this is where we have kept the Indian sensibility in mind and it may raise a lot of eyebrows.

Where is the drama then?

When the truth unveils there is lot of drama. See, drama is not in the contestant, or what I am doing there, it happens when you hear the question and relate yourself to it. Down the line drama is in the fact; will someone have the courage to answer.

Is that why you are hosting the show?

There is a big reason why I am hosting this show. When I heard the questions, I thought with every question you will relate yourself with it and to your own life.

- Rachana Trivedi/ Sampurn Media

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