In a recent episode of Kahiin to Hoga, Rishi Grewal winked, "One girl, one week, that's my philosophy." Viewers cheered lustily, happy that their favourite Casanova of tellyville was back to his marauding ways.
Shabir Sebastian Ahluwalia claims he's nothing like the character he portrays on screen, except for the almost adulatory love he and his character, Rishi, share for their respective elder brothers. "I love my BB (big brother to the uninitiated) Sameer even more than Rishi loves Sujal," he says rather unabashedly. Was his name inspired by Amar Akbar Anthony? "No, no nothing like that," he laughs. "My dad is Punjabi so that's where the Ahluwalia comes from; my mom's a Catholic which explains the Sebastian and as for Shabir - well they just liked the name."
This Mumbai lad loved sports as much as acting and as a student, dabbled in both whilst pursuing his BCom. Even before he graduated, he had done a few episodes of the youthful serial, Hip Hip Hurray.
If playing the wild and audacious Rishi in Kahiin To Hoga has won him an enduring fan following, then co-hosting Nach Baliye, with Sangeeta Ghosh, proved that he was no mean dancer himself. He's also looking forward to the X Files-inspired Karmic Connection.
Why the untidy, unkempt look? "I'm too lazy and this works for me." Obviously it does, for he's already won a slew of style icon awards. "Most actors are so well-groomed that I stand out in contrast!"