Actor Rajneesh Duggal, who was the winner of the reality show ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 5’, is currently doing Zee TV’s serial ‘Sanjog’. Rajneesh is celebrating his birthday today. He never dreamed that he would be a part of the film industry. He was interested in sports. But life is such that you never know if luck will make you stand. People used to advise him to come to Bollywood, as his personality was much more attractive. Then how a hoarding on the road of Mumbai changed his fate, let’s know from Rajneesh Duggal himself.
He Used To Handle A Shop At Kashmiri Gate!
Along with studies, Rajneesh also used to manage the shop of his father Pradeep Duggal. Rajneesh said, “After doing B.Com from Delhi University, I was pursuing a business administration course from AVJ School of Management, Dwarka. I had to go there for half a day, after that I had my bearing shop near Kashmere Gate bus stand. It would take me 45 minutes to an hour to reach Kashmere Gate from Dwarka. After noon, he used to manage his father’s shop or if it is said, he used to work at his father’s shop. He used to practice swimming and judo in the time that was left from the shop and college. I have played judo at the national level.”
Never Thought He Would Join The Bollywood!
When Rajneesh Duggal was busy with sports, studies, and shops, at that time he did not even think of entering the industry. Rajneesh Duggal says, ‘A friend of Anand Kumar, the director of the film ‘Zilla Ghaziabad’, often used to see me while passing around my shop. He saw it once or twice, then came to my shop and said, you should be in Mumbai. I was laughing after listening to him because till then I had no interest. Once again I went to a wedding where I met Delhi’s renowned choreographer Rashmi Rahmani.
He Started His B-Town Journey With A Ramp Walk
Where destiny wants to take you, the same atmosphere starts to be created around you. Rajneesh said, “I went to a wedding where I met Delhi’s famous choreographer Rashmi Rahmani at the reception, she saw me and said that the personality is such that you should be on stage. My cousin also encouraged me there. After this, when I walked the ramp for the first time, I felt good, Rashmi madam caught an envelope from above. I thought that it was a very good opportunity, in a very less amount of work and you are getting good money. After that, I did 70 to 80 shows within six months, in which many top brands were involved. After that in 2003, I won the title of Mr. India. After that, it was confirmed that now this work has to be done.”
It Was ‘Luck By Chance’
Rajneesh had done modeling for many brands like KitKat, Yamaha, and Videocon in a short time. He said, “I was the face of Raymond. My hoardings were put up at many places on the streets of Mumbai. One day I got a call from Vikram Bhatt’s office. Vikram Bhatt saw my Raymond’s hoarding and he told his casting department to call this Raymond’s boy. I met Vikram Bhatt. And in the first meeting, it was finalized that I am doing the film ‘1920’. After that, we signed a deal for two more films, after the film ‘1920’ I worked in ‘Phir’ and ‘Dangerous Ishq’.”
7 Minutes Shoot Turned Into 40 Minutes!
Rajneesh Duggal has worked in many films till now. Rajneesh believes that the film ‘Ek Paheli Leela’ was a very important project of his career. He said, “My and Sunny Leone’s scene in this film was only seven minutes. When I shot the first scene with Sunny Leone, director Bobby Khan and Bhushan Kumar argued after seeing that scene and the shooting stopped. I thought all of a sudden what happen? After a while, the director of the film offered me some additional scenes. This is how the role which was just like a seven-minute music video got extended and became forty minutes. And, that’s how I took one bigger step in the film industry as well”.
