Deepshikha re-enters the Balaji camp...

All TV actors seem to want a place under the Balaji umbrella. The production house, for its part, uses the carrot (read meaty roles) to lure them. The latest to join Ekta Kapoor's big family is none other than Deepshikha. This versatile actress has been roped in to do a glamorous character in the upcoming serial Karbon Kopy, on Star One. Quite happy obviously, she says, " Yes, I am very much a part of Karbon Kopy. It is a suspense thriller, and as of now we are putting episodes together. The director is Pawan Kaul, who is also a good friend of mine."

Elaborating on the kind of role she is essaying, she quips, "I am playing a character quite like that of Sushmita Sen in Main Hoon Naa. I play an alluring woman who runs an ad agency and is a former model. It is a great role and very different from the run of the mill roles that we see on TV these days. I am given a Page 3 kind of a look. It shows me in a sophisticated light. I will be seen wearing elegant chiffon saris. "

Incidentally, Deepshikha had done a Balaji show Kanyadaan a few years ago. Question her about her absence and she says, "It has been a long gap, but it is great to be back. I am really scared of all the time-leaps that their shows keep taking and definitely did not want to play mother to 18-20 year olds."

The show is a one hour daily and this suits her fine. "I have a small baby at home and I can balance things out better this way. Although I would even do a daily, but things are more relaxed on a weekly show. Timings and schedules have never been a problem for me. I have always found very co-operative and understanding people in the industry and they are like family. I lost my parents when I was really young, and fall back on my industry friends if I have a problem."

Deepshikha says she has known producer Ekta since ashe was a young girl, just starting out in her career. Now of course Ekta is a name to reckon with and Deepshikha says with a lot of pride, "She is an achiever. The way she handles her career and her life is remarkable. To etch out a name for oneself at such a young age is praiseworthy. She is the only one whose actors look like stars; all the rest fail to match up. Ekta is fantastic."

Apparently, she refused Ekta, when the latter asked her to play Madhavi in Kasautii…. "Well, I was pregnant at the time and they wanted to cast immediately, so I wasn't able to do it. They approached me again when the time leap happened but that did not materialise either."

She will also be seen in the film Pyar Mein Twist. One can almost feel the excitement in her voice as she speaks about sharing the camera with Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor, "I feel great. They were so down-to-earth and professional. I am a Dimple fan so this experience has been a memorable one."