Ashwini all set to play the wicked Adira

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."