After the death of his wife Rina Dev in 2009, Rahul Dev stepped away from films and the spotlight to raise their son Siddharth as a single parent. The actor-model has now opened up about the emotional and professional struggles he faced during that phase, recalling how difficult it was to restart his career after spending over four years away from the industry. Rahul admitted that when he eventually returned to Mumbai for work, he felt as though the industry had forgotten him despite having done over 80 films.In a conversation with Hindi Rush, Rahul admitted that he was completely unprepared for the challenges of single parenting. He credited his spiritual guru for helping him navigate one of the most difficult phases of his life and eventually encouraging him to return to work.“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 11-12-year-old boy. That phase was extremely challenging,” Rahul said.The actor revealed that he initially struggled with the idea of returning to Mumbai and balancing work with parenting responsibilities. According to Rahul, his guru encouraged him to take the leap and trust the process.“He told me to go back and start working again. I used to feel anxious thinking about how I would manage everything if I returned to work. Gradually, circumstances changed. My son grew older and got an opportunity to study in London. Even then, I was hesitant and wondered how he would manage alone,” Rahul shared.Rahul said his guru once again pushed him to let his son become independent. “Guruji told me, ‘If he doesn’t go there, then what will he do staying here?’ That gave me confidence. When my son went to London, he did very well and became very independent.”It was after that phase that Rahul slowly began rebuilding his career. He revealed that even when an offer for Bigg Boss came his way, he was unsure about accepting it.“When the call for Bigg Boss came, I didn’t think I would do it. But guruji told me, ‘Go, you have to start somewhere.’ That’s how things slowly began again,” he said.Rahul also spoke candidly about how difficult it was to find work after returning to the industry. Despite having acted in over 80 films, he felt forgotten after staying away for over four years.“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,” he admitted.However, the actor said he never blamed the industry for moving on. Instead, he chose to look at the experience as a learning curve.“I can’t blame anyone because times change. I never liked blaming people. I always feel the important thing is to learn from experiences. I’m not bitter that I did so much for the industry and this happened. The industry has also given me a lot. Leaving was my choice because of the circumstances, and I have no regrets,” Rahul said.
