The smart and handsome guy Rajeev Khandelwal who makes nubile nymphets go weak in their knees within his drooling looks is now all set to begin his innings on the big screen wit UTV's thriller Aamir, a small budget film which ironically does not have any heroine.

When I catch him up for an intimate chat, Rajeev seems quite excited that after quite a few hiccups, his journey in Bollywood has begun smoothly with Aamir.

"Ï play the title role of Dr Aamir in Aamir. All that I can divulge about my character right now is that it is about what happens when this doctor comes from abroad and gets entangled in a cobweb of mystery and murder.

The film has been directed by new comer Raj Kumar Gupta who has the making of yet another brilliant director like Raj Kumar Santoshi or Raj Kumar Hirani", quips Rajeev, even as hordes of snap- shooters throng around him clicking him in every mood of his.

In what way was facing the camera for a film different from facing the camera for serials?

I ask him. "The first thing that I had to do when I decided to do the film was to change my attitude. Though there was not much difference in terms of performance, it was in terms of understanding the director's language.

As far as TV is concerned, the whole sequence is often Okayed in just one long take, whereas as far as the film was concerned, I did not even know where the camera was placed and which lens was used. I was a student ready to learn on the sets."

Talking about Raj Kumar Gupta, Rajeev says. "Raj has his own distinct body language.

In fact you can easily make out whether the shot that you have given is right or not by just looking at him. In recent times, I think he is the most unassuming director that I have ever seen."

Rajeev adds. "I had begun my career not as an actor but as the director of documentaries and hence I know what the director wants. Never once did Raj say that I had given a bad take.

He used to tell me yaar this take was okay but I think you can give even a better take than this one".

Rajeev has no qualms to confess that on the sets he makes it a point to look up to every one from the spot boy to the director to hone his talent.

Rajeev is practical as far as his career in films is concerned. I may have been the biggest paid actor on television but I have been paid peanuts for Aamir.

If I am able to give them a business of around 20 crores of rupees, tomorrow I would not hesitate to ask for a remuneration of a crore of rupees per film but I am not the kind of actor who would raise his fee just because it is considered cool", he quips firmly.

Rajeev denies the rumors that he had walked out of the serial Left Right Left because the producers did not agree to pay him more when he decided to hike his price.

"If you are at your peak as an actor, you ca afford to hike your price and the producers would be even ready to oblige you but I did not ask for a hike. I left the serial for creative issues. Money has never been an issue as far as I am concerned.

Believe it or not, I had even told a top producer with whom I was working that I was even ready to slash my price by half provided she made my role more creative before I left the serial when my popularity was at its peak"

Rajeev adds. "It is just not easy to say no to eight lakhs a month. I stopped accepting offers to work in TV serials for the simple reason that I did not want to the same old stuff over and over, again and again.

Though I was not overexposed as far as TV serials were concerned since in any case I have acted in just three or four serials, I decided to quit because my creative interest did not last."

Just for the record, the serials in which Rajeev has acted till date are Kahin To Hoga, Time Bomb, Left Right Left and last but not the least the game show Deal Ya No Deal.

Says Rajeev, Ï loved my performance in Ketan Mehta's Time Bomb in which I was pitted along with performers like Shrivallabh Vyas and Kay Kay Menon. It was one of my most challenging performances while my character Soojal in Kahin To Hoga gave me life.

Left Right Left was my second daily soap after Kahin To Hoga." - By Jyothi Venkatesh