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T wentieth Century Fox Entertainment's first desi fiction show on television premieres tonight. Meri Awaaz Ko Mil Gayi Roshni (Star Plus) has Ashima Bhalla and Karan Grover as the lead protagonists. Bhalla is a bundle of nerves anticipating viewer response to the show; "It' s an honour to do their show. It's a high to know that we're replacing Kaun Banega Crorepati on primetime. We have an advantage as view- ers will tune in to see what's new." She got lucky among several other aspirants for this role after she gave her look test. Bhalla had begun her film career with K.C.Bokadia's Pyaar Zindagi Hai and Na Tum Jaano Na Hum. She reminisces, "A hit is all that matters in the industry. All your talent is of no use if one's films don't run. I was not ready to compromise by doing lip locks and unneces- sary exposure, nor was I the go-getter type." She turned to Southern films and claims that she act- ed in some block-busters in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu with actors like Chiranjeevi and Prabhudeva. Why then did she accept a role on TV? "The story was great and so was my role. I was getting several offers but they were the typical saas- bahu fare. This project has so many unique aspects. It's a musical saga. Mahalaxmi Iyer lends her voice to the songs. "My role is that of a small town girl, Sudha, who nur- tures the dream of becoming a singer in a big town. The show focuses on her triumphs, heartbreaks and her jour- ney towards her goal." Saying that she has been shooting non-stop from the past one month, she adds, "The working hours are long on television. I hope all this hard work will pay off because we've come up with a good show." Any other projects on the anvil? "Where is the time? But I'm open to film offers. First, let me get some time from this whirlwind routine. Right now, I am eating, sleeping and breathing the show."