Being Sujal is his ticket to small screen fame, his passport to the world of glam celebrities. Being Sujal is also Rajeev Khandelwal's bete noire, his constant anxiety of being trapped in an image. A peek into the world of Indian television's current superstar.

His cell phone beeps incessantly, an unflagging reminder of the popularity of the intense eyed actor relaxing between shots in his make up van at Goregaon's Sankraman Studios.

Rajeev Khandelwal, unknown entity on Indian television a year ago, is today the cynosure of all couch potatoes' eyes, from India, Pakistan, Maldives and all the way to Canada. Initial euphoria of the fan craze behind him, the actor is now struggling to live down the image of Sujal from Star Plus' late night Kahiin To Hoga, that has females of all ages drooling all over him and some more.

"At times, you do a character that works in your favour...it just happens that Sujal has worked tremendously in my favour," he admits self-effacingly, mulling over his success on a drizzly Friday between smokes, waiting for the next shot.

"Otherwise, why wouldn't the ad agencies and production houses have flipped over me when I came to Mumbai as a struggler two years ago?" he asks. Valid question. In his late twenties, Rajeev is well built but not seriously hunky; is good looking but not overwhelmingly attractive. But when he turns those brooding eyes on Kashish in Kahiin To Hoga every night, millions of female hearts miss a beat. And Rajeev knows that.

Down to earth he may be, but modesty is certainly not his middle name. Call it high self esteem or plain over confidence, this boy from Jaipur knew he would make it big some day. Just how, that was the question. Once spotted by Balaji Telefilms, and cast with accurate precision as the egoistic yet soft centred Sujal by Ekta Kapoor, it was pure screen chemistry that turned the struggling model into an overnight tele-star. Before KTH happened, Rajeev was doing the odd Gilbey's, LML bikes or Kodak Express ad.

Post KTH, he is shooting daily, making guest appearances at city colleges and shuttling to remote towns in the country's interiors for shows. "They are the barometer of my popularity," he grins, turning on that now famous whimsical smile. He lets us into his secret, "Even today, when I go out, my eyes are searching for adulation. Through my dark glasses, through the rear view mirror of my car, I am checking for reactions in the public's eye....if its an indifferent reaction, I can guess the TRPs of my show are
dipping..."

And if that's the reason he prefers shopping at Shopper's Stop rather than small boutiques (three whole floors of fans!), that's Rajeev for you. A queer mixture of vanity and clearheadedness, he is the first to admit, "I know, some day, this charm will fade, the day when people will say Sujal's getting monotonous." And it is this fear that makes him keep on evolving Sujal even within the set parameters of a lover spurned by the only love of his life.

He toys with the script, insists on rewriting dialogues umpteen times till he is satisfied with the outcome and often drives his colleagues round the bend, is the industry buzz. There have been times when Ekta has herself enacted scenes that Rajeev thinks would go against the popular Sujal image. Friends and relatives think he has become too big for his boots....

He sighs, "How can I explain to them that my life is slipping out of my hands? I am completely dominated by my profession, and keep worrying about not letting my fans down. I even contemplated something apart from KTH because I felt I was doing the same thing over and over..."

It's an image trap and Rajeev is the first one to acknowledge it. Life on the personal front, while comfortable on the material side (he's bought a car, a huge house recently) is still chaotic. Marriage is out, for the time being. "I cant afford to have a steady relationship because I am too focused on my own self at this stage of life, and any committed relationship cannot take it. I would love to have flings, but the problem here is that Sujal Garewal would always be between me and the girl, because Sujal's the one the girl probably loves!" The hint of irony and sadness in his voice is palpable.

As of now, Rajeev is revelling in being Sujal, even though insecurity gnaws sometimes. "I still worry about the shape of my nose," he laughs deprecatingly.

The offers are pouring in, for movies and serials, but as he says, "I feel Sujal is bigger than the characters they are offering. I am a gambler, and I took a plunge into Sujal, but I dont have that gut feeling for any of the roles being offered." As for KTH, he says he will continue as long as the journey is good. For the myriad who want to know if there's more to come of Rajeev on the telly, there's a long wait ahead. "I don't want to lose my exclusivity," he affirms, "If you really like me, you have to wait up till 11 pm."

No fears on that front. For Sujal, the girls are willing to sit up to midnight. Or beyond.

(Watch this space next week for more on Rajeev Khandelwal, the man behind the actor...)

Rajeev Khandelwal photographs by Vicky Ahuja