With his wild mane, predatory eyes, serrated jawline and rugged machismo Rahul Dev has all the animal magnetism of Wuthering Heights immortal character - Heathcliff.
He might well have stepped out of the pages of this English classic in flesh and blood, so uncanny is the resemblance ! And if he continues to feed that brooding persona who knows he may land himself the role of a lifetime in a Bollywood adaptation of the classic !
Anyways these are early days for this young Turk who is just two films old but luckily for him his performances in 'Champion' and 'Aashiq' have been well received.
Like most other aspirants to film glamour, Rahul has also traversed that well-worn road to Bollywood, yes, you have guessed it right - modelling ! This model-turned-actor has started off his innings in Show Biz with an ensemble in black and grey - as the 'villain of the piece' in both his films.
Unfortunately for Rahul, fate played truant as his big launch film never took off.
In Mukul Anand's much touted film 'Dus' Rahul was to have an author-backed role on the lines of Sholay's Gabber Singh - the most menacing villains of all times ! What a storybook debut, you'd have thought.
But it wasn't meant to be.
Mukul's sudden death midway during production altered many lives. This film was to make many careers as it essayed heraldic roles for Raveena Tandon, Rahul Dev and Sanjay Dutt among others.
It was an ideal launch pad, admits Rahul with a note of regret talking to a popular film-magazine recently.
Among his other big misses are 'Mission Kashmir' and 'Farz'. However Rahul brushes it aside with a nonchalant - '' I’m happy that I didn't do either of them. ''
“I had approached Vinod for Jackie Shroff's role in 'Mission Kashmir'. His assistants got back to me with the role which Puru Raaj Kumar eventually did. I refused the part and I have no regrets. As for 'Farz', Raj Kanwar wanted me to do Jackie's role but at that point I was shooting for 'Champion' and it wasn't possible for me to do two shifts for two different films, '' he confides.
Ask Rahul who's a devout Ram Gopal Verma fan, what his three wishes from the Gini are and pat comes the answer - '' I want to work with Ram Gopal Verma. I'm ready to do anything to work with Ramu,” he pleads.
''I'd done a test for Shool, the role eventually went to Sayaji Shinde. Before 'Jungle' I'd done yet another shoot. But Sunil Shetty bagged the role. I've met Ramu for yet another film. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I hope it's third time lucky for me. I think Ramu's a bit confused about whether he should cast me in a positive or negative role. I'm ready to do anything, '' confesses the gushing fan.
His next wish - '' I would give my right hand to work with Vinod Chopra. ''
And thirdly - ''I want to sign films with directors who're sincere and I don't want to be typecast as a villain. I want to do all kinds of roles,'' says Rahul.
In 'Ashoka', he plays a positive character, so that's one answered prayer, given the notoriety he's gaining as the Badman.
In fact his one-liner in 'Aashiq' - '' Pooja ho yaa Saluja, mujhe farak nahin padta,'' has had audiences hooting and making cat-calls in the country's cinema halls.
Rahul's unusual face may well be his fortune if he plays his cards well, works with top drawer directors, imbibes from the experience and of course continues to brood.
He needs to cultivate with more gusto this aloof, mysterious persona which seems tailor made for him if he wants to be taken seriously.
He should use his natural assets to his advantage and borrow a leaf from one of Hollywood's all-time favorites - Clint Eastwood.
Clint who immortalized the monosyllabic Cowboy in Westerns hardly had any dialogues to rattle in most of his 'Dollar' films but it was this selfsame magnetism of the aloof and rugged gun-toting cowboy that made him such a star.
As for his large female following who in a typical take of our Yankee 'Friends' may exclaim - '' Oh my God, '' at the sight of his chocolate slab pectorals, here's breaking news you'd never believe.
Rahul thinks they are just pulling his leg.
A shy Rahul confesses : ''Some years ago, I couldn't exchange more than two sentences with a girl. I was very shy of women. When girls tell me they find me sexy, I feel they are just pulling my leg. Basically I've a very low opinion of myself. I'm very insecure.''
Now can you believe that girls ! Anyways the guy's already taken ladies, he even has a three-year-old son.
With his wild mane, predatory eyes, serrated jawline and rugged machismo Rahul Dev has all the animal magnetism of Wuthering Heights immortal character - Heathcliff. 