This veteran actor, who is best known to audiences for his role as Salman Khan's father in Maine Pyar Kiya, has shared the reasons behind his decision to leave Mumbai and the mainstream entertainment scene despite appearing in a number of classic films and TV series. Additionally, he is also related to megastar Amitabh Bachchan, but how? Let's find out who the actor in question is.
The actor is Rajeev Verma. With roles in movies like Koi...Mil Gaya, Andaaz, Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke, Chalte Chalte, and other television shows, the seasoned actor has become a famed name.
How Is Rajeev Verma Related To Amitabh Bachchan?
Rajeev Verma, who is married to Amitabh Bachchan's wife Jaya Bachchan's sister Rita Verma, left Mumbai and the movie business despite having a lengthy and prosperous career in Bollywood.
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Rajeev Verma opened up about boredom that finally crept into his profession and the reasons he went back to his hometown of Bhopal to concentrate on family and a slower pace of life in an interview with the DearGeneration podcast. He also talked about working with actors who went on to become some of Bollywood's biggest stars.
Rajeev Verma noted that actors like Salman Khan, Bhagyashree and Reema Lagoo were going through significant career turning points. He noted that he co-starred with Akshay Kumar in the movie Deedar, which came out following Saugandh, Akshay's first motion picture. Karisma Kapoor starred in the movie as well. He mentioned that he worked with Lara Dutta in one of her early movies.
However, Verma never used his co-stars' celebrity status as a gauge of his success. He claimed that instead of monitoring who was rising to fame, he was concentrating on his profession.
The veteran actor soon found himself heading in the opposite direction, whereas many actors dedicate their careers to pursuing larger roles and increased notoriety.
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Where Is Rajeev Verma Now?
For nearly ten years, Rajeev Verma balanced acting work with a regular job. It was only in 1996 that he finally resigned from his profession and dedicated himself fully to acting. Even then, he believed that talent mattered more than fame and that good performers deserved equal respect whether they were stars or character actors.
Rajeev Verma shared, "Five or six years ago, I returned to Bhopal. Even two or three years before that, I had begun feeling that acting had become routine and I was no longer enjoying it. Spending time with friends, attending weddings and family gatherings, enjoying life, all of that had become negligible. After a point, you start missing those things. You feel like spending time with your family, parents and friends (sic)."