Exclusive | Rajeev Khandelwal on wearing women's jewellery as tribute in Tum Ho Na

Rajeev Khandelwal (PR currated)

Rajeev Khandelwal is making a notable return to television with Tum Ho Na, a reality show that places women at its core. After staying away from the small screen for years, the actor says this project felt like the right opportunity to reconnect with his audience especially the women who have supported him his career.

Rajeev Khandelwal dedicates the show to women

Opening up about his decision, Rajeev shared, "The show is all about women. And I had to be around them. They've been around me for so long and so consistently, I think. I had to do this one for many, many reasons." He further explained that his absence from television played a key role in his decision to return. "There have been these people who have given me love right from the very beginning. And they've been waiting to see me on television, but I wasn't getting the right project to come back to television and do something for them. And when Tum Ho Na happened, I said this is the opportunity for me to say thanks to them, express my gratitude."

At its heart, Tum Ho Na is designed to celebrate women who often go unrecognised despite being the backbone of their families. "It's about celebrating those women who actually are the anchors of their house, who are the pillars of their homes. But yet, their contribution has not been acknowledged enough by our society," he said. He added that while appreciation may exist in private spaces, it rarely translates into broader acknowledgment. "While in conversations, we do appreciate… But do we really acknowledge their contribution? So, this show was about celebrating that contribution. We invite those women who are actually the superstars in their own way, in their world, in their ecosystem, in their homes. We invite them. We celebrate them."

Beyond the concept, Rajeev also revealed a deeply personal and symbolic choice tied to his appearance on the show. Recalling the styling process, he said, "When the costumes were being put together, when the look was being put together, there were many accessories that the stylist had got. And when I was shooting for the promo of the show, I realized that one of the accessories resembled a woman's earrings. I said, are these earrings? And she said, no… but yeah, few of them are."

This sparked a meaningful idea. "I said, why don't we actually wear women's accessories? I am doing a show for women. Can I wear something which is not just random? Let me wear something where I actually pay tribute to the women." What began as a creative suggestion soon turned emotional. "It started from there and then it went to an emotional zone. I said, it will be fun if I can wear the payal… I will wear it on my chest. It is going to be a very beautiful way of telling them."

On wearing his mother's payal on his chest

The gesture became even more personal when it connected to his family. "And then I thought, if one day I will wear my mother's payal, I will ask Manjari. I said, do you have mother's payal? She said, yeah, I was given the mother's payal. So, the day I am going to wear it on my outfit here… I don't need to say anything. I just need to tell them this is my mother's payal. I am wearing it here with so much pride that you have no idea."

For Rajeev, this styling choice goes beyond aesthetics it is a heartfelt expression of gratitude. "So, here I am actually thanking them. The idea of actually wearing a woman's accessory on my clothes was just to tell them that I mean it from the bottom of my heart."