The singer along with her husband who appeared on the reality show, Tum Ho Naa – Ghar Ki Superstar, reminisced about having a crush on the actor during his iconic stint as Sujal in the hit television show ‘Kahiin To Hoga’.
Speaking to Rajeev, who is also the host on the show, Neha recalled how she had openly named him as her favourite celebrity during her Indian Idol days.
"Toh Indian Idol ki baat hai. Main contestant thi aur mujhse channel ne pucha, 'Aapka favourite celebrity kaun hai? Unka naam batayiye.' Maine bola, 'Rajeev Khandelwal'."
(This goes back to my Indian Idol days. I was a contestant, and the channel asked me, Who is your favourite celebrity? Tell us their name. I said, Rajeev Khandelwal.)
Neha went on to reveal that her admiration for Rajeev only grew stronger after he paid her a surprise visit when she was recovering from chickenpox during the singing reality show.
Pointing towards her husband, Rohanpreet Singh, she quipped, "Mujhe pata hai ye inko sunn ke thoda jealous feel ho raha hoga. But sahi mein kamaal ka kaam kiya hai Sony Entertainment Television ne. Mujhe kuch problem ho rahi thi. Actually, chickenpox ho gaya tha aur uss time mujhe Indian Idol discontinue karna pada tha. Main ghar pe rest kar rahi thi aur jab main resume karne wali thi, toh mujhe get well soon karne ghar pe kaun aaya tha? Rajeev Khandelwal. Itna toh sabko idea hoga. Matlab, Sujal har ek ladki ka... itni chhoti, itni badi, har kisi mahila ki deewangi tha Sujal, and I am standing right here next to Sujal."
(I know he must be feeling a little jealous hearing this. But Sony Entertainment Television did something really special. I had chickenpox and had to discontinue Indian Idol for some time. I was resting at home and when I was about to resume, do you know who came home to wish me a speedy recovery? Rajeev Khandelwal. Everyone knows this. Sujal was every girl's crush, young or old, and today I'm standing right next to Sujal.)
Later in the episode, the old video featuring Rajeev and Neha was played as a surprise, leaving the singer emotional.
Reacting to the clip, Rajeev said, "Pehli cheez yeh ki main Neha ke saamne gaana gaa raha hu, maine abhi dekha, meri himmat thi ki main is ke saamne gaana gaa raha tha."
(The first thing I noticed was that I was singing in front of Neha. I can't believe I had the courage to sing before someone like her.)
He further added, "Yeh Mumbai shehar… yahan log kehte hain ki sapne poore nahi hote. Yeh woh Neha thi jo Mumbai aayi thi apni jagah banane, aur inka jo khwaab tha Rajeev Khandelwal se milne ka, wahan se lekar aaj is manch pe yeh aur Rohan as special guests yahan aaye. Sapne poore honge. Woh ek Neha thi, aur aaj ek Neha hai jinke karodon fans hain."
(People say dreams don't come true in Mumbai. This is the same Neha who came to the city hoping to make a name for herself. She once dreamt of meeting Rajeev Khandelwal, and today she is here on this stage as a special guest with Rohan. Dreams do come true. That was one Neha then, and today she has millions of fans)
Neha, however, made it clear that time had not changed her admiration for the actor.
"Aapko kya lagta hai main tab fan thi, abhi fan nahi hoon? Nahi, nahi... I still admire you aur pehle bhi karti thi. Pehle aapne mere liye gaya tha aur is baar bhi gaaiye."
(Do you think I was your fan only back then? No... I still admire you just as much as I did before. You sang for me then, and I'd like you to sing for me again this time.)
Honouring her request, Rajeev sang ‘Thoda Sa Pyaar Hua Hai’, the iconic track associated with ‘Kahiin To Hoga’, and brought back memories of the beloved television show.
Talking about Rajiv Khandelwal as Sujal in the eyeconic show Kahin To Hoga the character went on to become a heart throb of the early 2000s.
His on screen pairing with actress Aamna Sharif as Kashish is even considered to be one of the most iconic on screen pairings of Indian television.
