Popular villain lost his wife to cancer, raised son alone. He worked with Sunny Deol, Mahesh Babu and Jr NTR. Actor Rahul Dev now makes a comeback
Rahul Dev was once one of the most popular villains in Indian cinema during the 90s, known for his intense screen presence and powerful performances alongside stars like Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Mahesh Babu, Akshay Kumar and Jr NTR. However, at the peak of his career, the actor made a difficult personal decision that changed his life completely. After losing his wife, Rina Dev, to cancer in 2009, Rahul stepped away from films to focus entirely on raising their young son Siddharth as a single parent.
Rahul Dev recalls struggles during his comeback in Bollywood
Now, years later, the actor has opened up about the emotional and professional struggles he faced during that period. In a recent conversation with Hindi Rush, Rahul recalled how hard it was to return to the entertainment industry after remaining away from work for nearly four and a half years.
Rahul revealed that he had not been prepared for the responsibilities that came after his wife’s sudden death. According to the actor, becoming a single parent overnight was one of the toughest experiences of his life. He shared that his son was only around 11 or 12 years old at the time, and he had no idea how to manage parenting on his own while coping with grief.
The actor also credited his spiritual guru for helping him go through the difficult phase. Rahul said that meeting his guru in 2013 changed his perspective and gave him the emotional strength to slowly move forward again. He explained, "If guruji hadn’t come into my life in 2013, things would have been very difficult for me. I had no understanding of parenting. My wife died suddenly and I became a single parent to an 11 to 12-year-old boy. That phase was extremely challenging."
Over time, circumstances began to change. Rahul shared that Siddharth eventually moved to London for higher studies and gradually became more independent. Even then, the actor admitted he was hesitant about letting his son live alone abroad. However, he said his guru encouraged him to trust the process and allow his son to grow independently.
Rahul also revealed that he was unsure about accepting an offer for Bigg Boss when it first came to him. He confessed that he did not think he was ready to step back into the public eye. But after encouragement from his guru, he decided to take the opportunity as a fresh beginning for his career.
Despite returning to Mumbai with years of experience behind him, Rahul said rebuilding his career was far from easy. The actor admitted, "When I came back, I wasn’t getting work. I had done 80-81 films, but after four-and-a-half years away, it felt like nobody even knew me anymore. People had forgotten me."
However, Rahul maintained that he never became bitter about the situation. Instead of blaming the industry, he chose to view the experience as part of life’s journey. The actor said he understood that the film industry moves on quickly and added that stepping away from work had been his own decision because of personal circumstances. According to him, he has no regrets about prioritising his family during that difficult period.
On Rahul Dev's work front
Over the years, Rahul Dev built a strong career across Hindi and South Indian cinema, often playing memorable antagonists in action and drama films. His performances earned him recognition in multiple industries and helped him become one of the most familiar villain faces of the late 1990s and 2000s.
The actor is now slowly making his comeback with new projects. Rahul will next be seen in Mor Sab Da Banuga, directed by Ashish Kumar. He also has Welcome To The Jungle in the pipeline, featuring a large ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Sanjay Dutt and others.
Rahul Dev recalls struggles during his comeback in Bollywood
Now, years later, the actor has opened up about the emotional and professional struggles he faced during that period. In a recent conversation with Hindi Rush, Rahul recalled how hard it was to return to the entertainment industry after remaining away from work for nearly four and a half years.
Rahul revealed that he had not been prepared for the responsibilities that came after his wife’s sudden death. According to the actor, becoming a single parent overnight was one of the toughest experiences of his life. He shared that his son was only around 11 or 12 years old at the time, and he had no idea how to manage parenting on his own while coping with grief.
The actor also credited his spiritual guru for helping him go through the difficult phase. Rahul said that meeting his guru in 2013 changed his perspective and gave him the emotional strength to slowly move forward again. He explained, "If guruji hadn’t come into my life in 2013, things would have been very difficult for me. I had no understanding of parenting. My wife died suddenly and I became a single parent to an 11 to 12-year-old boy. That phase was extremely challenging."
Over time, circumstances began to change. Rahul shared that Siddharth eventually moved to London for higher studies and gradually became more independent. Even then, the actor admitted he was hesitant about letting his son live alone abroad. However, he said his guru encouraged him to trust the process and allow his son to grow independently.
Rahul also revealed that he was unsure about accepting an offer for Bigg Boss when it first came to him. He confessed that he did not think he was ready to step back into the public eye. But after encouragement from his guru, he decided to take the opportunity as a fresh beginning for his career.
Despite returning to Mumbai with years of experience behind him, Rahul said rebuilding his career was far from easy. The actor admitted, "When I came back, I wasn’t getting work. I had done 80-81 films, but after four-and-a-half years away, it felt like nobody even knew me anymore. People had forgotten me."
However, Rahul maintained that he never became bitter about the situation. Instead of blaming the industry, he chose to view the experience as part of life’s journey. The actor said he understood that the film industry moves on quickly and added that stepping away from work had been his own decision because of personal circumstances. According to him, he has no regrets about prioritising his family during that difficult period.
On Rahul Dev's work front
Over the years, Rahul Dev built a strong career across Hindi and South Indian cinema, often playing memorable antagonists in action and drama films. His performances earned him recognition in multiple industries and helped him become one of the most familiar villain faces of the late 1990s and 2000s.
The actor is now slowly making his comeback with new projects. Rahul will next be seen in Mor Sab Da Banuga, directed by Ashish Kumar. He also has Welcome To The Jungle in the pipeline, featuring a large ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Sanjay Dutt and others.
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