Rajeev Khandelwal recalls emotional meeting with Dev Anand: He told me, ‘I should be touching your feet because…’ | Hindi Movie News – Times of India

In the latter part of his career, Dev Anand shifted from being a superstar to a true lover of cinema, caring less about box office success or public opinion. This new attitude was clear when actor Rajeev Khandelwal met him by chance. Rajeev, aware he wouldn’t take a role in Dev’s film, was nonetheless captivated by his presence. During their meeting, Rajeev showed his respect by offering to touch Dev Anand’s feet, but the legendary actor humbly insisted on reciprocating the gesture, highlighting the mutual admiration and respect between the two.
In a conversation with Radio Nasha, Rajeev Khandelwal shared, “Dev saab called me for a film. I went there but I knew that I am not going to do this film because the kind of films he was making in those days… I knew that I didn’t want to do it. But I wanted to meet Dev saab.”
Rajeev, who usually avoids such gestures, made an exception for Dev Anand. He wanted to show his deep respect and admiration for the legendary actor. However, when Rajeev bent down to touch Dev’s feet, Dev Anand gracefully stopped him. Rajeev recalled, “I went to Dev saab and I touched his feet. He stopped me there and asked ‘what are you doing?’ I said ‘sir, you inspire me’. He said ‘if that is the case then I should be touching your feet because youngsters like you inspire me a lot.'”

Rajeev Khandelwal made his Bollywood debut in 2008 with the film Aamir, directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. The film was well-received and marked Khandelwal’s transition from television to film. Since then, Rajeev became a prominent figure in Indian television.