Rajeev Khandelwal recalls leaving Anita Hassanandani alone on dance floor during first meeting

Mumbai, June 8 (IANS) Actor Rajeev Khandelwal recently revisited one of the most embarrassing moments from his early days in the entertainment industry where he revealed that he once left actress Anita Hassanandani stranded alone on a dance floor during their very first meeting.

The actor shared the amusing anecdote on an upcoming episode of ‘Tum Ho Naa’, where he and Anita, who was a special guest on the show, looked back at their long-standing friendship and journey in showbiz.

Speaking about his first-ever industry party after arriving in Mumbai, Rajeev admitted that he was overwhelmed and nervous. The actor recalled that the show’s producer had introduced him to Anita, who warmly approached him with a smile. But instead of enjoying the moment, Rajeev found himself panicking.

‘Main chhote shehar ka tha… life ke andar itna khula nahi tha. Maine Anita ko dekha aur yeh muskuraati hui aise aayi… mere toh wahan pe haath-pair thande pad gaye, maine 20 seconds dance kiya… aur phir maine bola “I’ll just come” aur main chhod ke chala gaya!’ (I was from a small town and wasn’t very open or outgoing. I saw Anita walking towards me with a smile, and I became so nervous that my hands and feet literally went cold. I danced with her for about 20 seconds and then said, ‘I’ll just come,’ before walking away.)

‘Agle din sab mujhse poochne lage ki “Yaar, tumne Anita ko chhod diya dance floor pe?” Mujhe maloom nahi tha ki kitna bada bahaal ho jayega.’ (The next day, everyone started asking me, ‘Did you really leave Anita alone on the dance floor?’ I had no idea it would become such a big issue)

Rajeev jokingly added that after all these years, he was finally able to make up for the unfinished dance while shooting for ‘Tum Ho Naa’. Anita, meanwhile, admitted that she had completely forgotten about the incident but happily joined in the laughter as the story resurfaced.

The conversation then took a nostalgic turn when Anita recalled Rajeev’s immense popularity during the peak of his television career. She revealed that he was considered the ultimate heartthrob of the era and attracted admirers wherever he went.

‘Very often main Balaji ke set pe aati thi aur wahan Balaji ki kai ladkiyan aati thi, kyunki aap tab “National Crush” the, aur har ladki ko bas Rajeev ki ek jhalak chahiye thi.’ (I would often visit the Balaji sets, and many girls would gather there because you were the ‘National Crush’ back then, and every girl simply wanted a glimpse of Rajeev)

Responding to the compliment, Rajeev modestly credited his popularity to the characters he portrayed rather than himself.

‘Mere upar koi crush nahi karta tha, sab mere character ke upar crush karte thein.’ (All of them had a crush on my character, not me)

–IANS

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