“My role in Court Martial is an ode to my father,” says Rajeev Khandelwal

Last seen in a short film titled Ateet (2020), popular actor Rajeev Khandelwal is quite excited about his debut play Court Martial. Talking to an Indian daily, the actor says that his role in the play is an ode to his father.

"Growing up in an army family, I have always seen my father and brother proudly don their uniforms and it is no news to people that I also had aspirations to join the army," says Khandelwal.

The actor goes on to add, "In my career, I have played characters in uniforms before and I decided to keep this one of Capt. Bikash Roy. My role in Court Martial I would like to believe is an ode to my father.”

Talking about the play, the actor says, “Court Martial demanded an intensity that required me to work on myself and prep for the role. It is an intense and gripping play with a fabulously taut storytelling technique. This play is regarded as a classic in the world of theatre.”

According to Khandelwal, playing a character on stage is extremely challenging and it provides the ultimate validation for any actor. "I think essaying a character on stage for theatre is supremely challenging and provides the ultimate validation for any actor. I have always envied actors who can entertain audience on stage. It was as good as one of the things in my 'to do list’,” he concludes.

Written by Swadesh Deepak, Court Martial is a teleplay by Zee Theatre. It follows the unusual trial of a junior-ranked army man convicted of murdering his senior officer. Rajeev Khandelwal will be seen in the role of Bikash Roy, an extremely sharp defence lawyer who goes deep into the shocking details behind the assault.

Apart from Rajeev Khandelwal, Court Martial also stars Govind Pandey, Bhagwan Tiwari, Saksham Dayma and Swapnil Kotiwar in important roles.