Rahul Dev on the break he took from showbiz and his comeback

Rahul Dev, known for his intense portrayals on screen, looks back with contentment at a career shaped by resilience and reinvention. Reflecting on his career, the actor who was seen in recent projects like The Empire and Gaslight, shares, “I am some 150 projects old which includes films and series. I am happy that I’ve worked with almost 30 National Award-winning directors. My last release was Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis and I also did The Empire created by Nikkhil Advani. When I look back, I can say that my journey has been divided in two parts.”

He adds, “There was a phase that brought a deeply personal setback. I was 68 films old when I lost my wife Rina to cancer. I had to complete 13 films and I did that from 2009 to 2011. Then I packed my bags and left for Delhi. My son Sidhant was 11 years old. I wasn’t able to figure out my purpose in life between parenting and showbiz.”




A turning point came in 2013 with spiritual guidance from Shri Tarneivji. “He is my spiritual guide and my most trustworthy friend. His direction gave me the strength to return to acting. One thing he told me has stayed with me, ‘Gratitude is the prayer’.” Now, Rahul looks ahead with renewed purpose. “I had a release in January. I am doing a web series with Babil next month and working on a Kannada project with Sudeep. There’s also a film with Prince Kanwaljit in Punjab. I have done about 60 films since I made a comeback to acting.”Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”