Article:Nivedita about kasturi =kth

News is that Balaji Telefilms is planning a major expansion.. That's true. Some tie-ups are being worked out. We're planning to have shows on Pakistani, Sri- lankan and Dubai televi- sion networks. It's probably a little too late in the day, but why did Khwaish start airing in Pakistan before it did in India? See, Khwaish was essentially made for the Pakistani audi- ence. PTV had approached us to make a serial that depicted their culture. That's why Khwaish – which is about two Pakistani families settled in Dubai – went on air in Pakistan before it did here. Most of your shows have the sim- ilar story tracks.. I won't deny that this does hap- pen at times. Kasturi has one track similar to Kahiin to Hoga. But how we deal with that same plot in different set- ups is what makes every show different from the others. What is with the film music you use in all your shows? That's Ekta's brainchild. We take rights from music compa- nies, add our own lyrics and use them. The idea is to make the view- ers associate a certain charac- ter or show with a particular song. Once someone's played a lead in your show, it's difficult for them to find work outside of the Balaji camp, isn't it? For us, characters are more important than the actors who play them. People remember an actor's screen name.. Prerana (Kasauti Zindagi Kay) is the best exam- ple for this. But once they're out of our shows, it's their look-out. Don't you think too many genera- tion leaps and new characters dilute the basic plot? We introduce new characters and sub-plots to rejuvenate a show. The original plot remains and grows with all the other sub-plots. For example, Kasautii Zinda- gi Kay still has Prerana and Anurag's story but with other twists and turns. The characters on your shows nev- er seem to age.. When a show starts, the actors are playing their age. Once the plot grows, the characters do too. For instance, Shweta Tiwari is in her mid-20s but the audience has accepted her as a 70-year-old woman. The age- lessness of characters gives the audience in that age group the confidence to look younger. Do channels interfere in your work? No. Ekta handles that well. She's open to their suggestions but never promises to use them.