article on ejaz

Birthday blues?

On the same day Eijaz Khan celebrates his birthday this year, viewers will see the last episode of Kavyanjali

Subhash K Jha

Eijaz Khan can consider himself lucky. August 28, which is the actor's birthday, will also be the last date for the telecast of Kavyanjali, the serial he stars in.

"What a birthday gift!" says Eijaz. "I can't say I'm glad to see the last of Kavyanjali. It's the serial that made me famous. I became a known face because of this soap. And never mind if I was often tempted to throw away my cellphone, due to the large volume of fan calls after Kavyanjali."

Of late, the actor has been shooting back-to-back for Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka and Kayanjali for Balaji Telefilms. "I've been virtually living on the job, working for 20-24 hours which has now been reduced to 16 hours due to health reasons," he says. "The long hours had really begun to affect my health." Recently, the actor had to be rushed to the doctor.

The other serial Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka hasn't been such a great experience for Eijaz. According to unit members, the lead actress (Sanjeeda A R) throws her weight around. Eijaz prefers to keep mum about these goings-on. "I just mind my own business. However, shooting for Kya Hoga... wasn't the same as shooting for Kavyanjali, where I felt as if I was part of a family."

In fact, Eijaz and his co-star Natassha (who plays Anjali in Kavyanjali) recently made a guest appearance in a PNC film that is being directed by Meghna Gulzar. "That was fun. It reminded me of my film career which got neglected due to television. Now with one of my serials going off air, I may have time to pursue those dreams," says Eijaz. As an afterthought, he adds, "On the other hand, I may not have any time for films. Ekta may cast me in another serial right away. I only hope it's as enjoyable as Kavyanjali."