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Sophisticated and Westernised from the outside, but devious and manipulative by nature, that's how one can describe Adira. She is allergic to all things good, people or otherwise. She sees evil in everything. But she is classy, impeccably turned out and a woman of few words. She is suspicious by nature and her sarcasm is always sugar coated. Her personal staff includes Sylvie the make-up woman and Margarita, the hairdresser, who are daily visitors at the Dhanrajgir household. Adira never fails to belittle Anjali for her middle-class ways and according to her she is not worthy of Aman. "But there is a justification for the way Adira talks and behaves," says Ashwini Kalsekar who plays the wicked woman Adira in Jeete Hain Jiske Liye.

A divorcee who brought up her nephew Aman Dhanrajgir who lost his parents during childhood, Adira sacrificed her own happiness for Aman's sake. Though a rich and powerful woman she couldn't tolerate her business tycoon nephew marrying an orphan girl. "That's her main grudge against Anjali who she thinks doesn't deserve to be Aman's wife. But her biggest insecurity is her losing the family wealth and property if Anjali has a child. Therefore she tries her best to prevent Anjali from becoming a mother," explains Ashwini who is not new to playing an outright negative and manipulative character. Her role as Jiggyasa, in Kasamh Se, got her the Indian Telly award for best negative performance.

"I played the kitchen politics very well in Kasamh Se," laughs Ashwini. Then after a long pause she adds, "Nobody is born wicked. It's the circumstances that make a person negative and vicious."

Needless to say she finds it quite challenging to play negative characters. "Oh, I love it. But the real challenge is in playing each character differently. And that's entirely my headache. It is my responsibility to play Adira differently," she adds.

On a break from Kasamh Se where she may come back to play her wicked game again when Ekta takes the call, Ashwini is happy to be part Jeete Hain Jiske Liye. "This show is very different. Tony and Deeya Singh are really good producers to work with," she smiles.

The actress who has been around for 12 years, ever since she debuted on television in 1995 with Shanti has played the tough cop in CID for six long years. But the role she calls her best is that of ACP Nethra Menon in Siddhant. "She was a tough woman with lot of aura around her," says Ashwini who also figures in Smriti Irani's forthcoming home production Viruddh. "I really can't talk about it. But yes, it's a good role."

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Husband-wife duo Deeya and Tony Singh have carved a niche for themselves as ace producers in TV. After the super hit Jassi Jaise Koi Nahin, Jabb Love Hua and Left Right Left are on air now. Their third venture Jeete Hai Jiske Liye has just been launched.

Excerpts from an interview:

Q From Banegi Apni Baat to Jeete Hai Jiske Liye, every serial of yours has been different. Where do you get your creative ideas from?

I pick up ideas from life itself, from the experiences I have with near and dear ones. It is sort of autobiographical in nature so the characters are almost real. This is something like a spiritual journey where you are constantly trying to find something but never know what the end will be like.

It is very difficult to come up with something new every time but it feels great when channels appreciate us and want our projects constantly.

Q But you come up with very few projects at a time unlike Balaji?

Right now we have three shows on air. Earlier, we weren't such a big production house. Now we are settled and the two kids are growing up. I know to stay in the competition, one has to be seen more and do more shows.

Q Who is your target audience?

There is no specified target audience. When Just Mohabbat came it was a story of a 10-year-old but even parents used to watch it. So our shows are for everyone.

Q Would you ever come up with serials of the K kind?

What Balaji shows is also a part of life. As for us, if we have such a concept it would be given a particular look and treatment which would be entirely ours. The story would be narrated in our own style. Like Jeete Hai Jiske Liye has the element of motherhood but the story is not told like it is done in a K serial.

Q You have a fixation with international tele novellas. First Jassi… and now Jeete… are both adaptations.

There is nothing like fixation. Yes Jeete… and Jassi… are taken from tele novellas but we have revamped them. Jeete… is totally revamped while Jassi… was changed just a little.

Q How difficult is it to indianise such tele novellas?

It is very difficult as we have to revamp it completely. Then change parts and add some characters if needed. We have to work a lot on it.

Q Despite doing good shows you still have not been getting the kind of appreciation Balaji serials get?

Yes that is true, but it is no one's fault as it is up to the industry to decide how they look upon us. Actually we have a certain pattern of working and we don't like to create a buzz or to speak about things too much. Instead we believe in showing our talent through our work.

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