About my background:
Childhood was an idyllic time that I spent in Chandigarh and Delhi... horse riding, strolling. I was always academically inclined, plus with my dad being a cop and mom being in revenue services, it seemed like I would also be keen on joining the civil services. But I guess I never would have been able to hold on to a 9-5 job. After my schooling in Chandigarh, I came down to Mumbai and enrolled in Sophiya College. In 1998, I graduated with Economics as the major subject, just like my mom who had also graduated from Sophiya.

But during my graduation, I had joined DD2 as an anchor. With Mumbai's Hindi standard not being something to boast about, they wanted somebody who could speak 'propah' Hindi, hence my selection. While it was fun working in front of the camera, I found my calling behind one.

By the time I graduated, I guess my parents had understood that I did not want to pursue a career in the bureaucracy. Barring a few 'give IAS, IFS a shot' suggestions, there was no serious persuasion. After I enrolled at Sophiya Polytechnic for a course in Mass Communication, they were just as happy. Immediately after my course, I joined Balaji Telefilms. It was a good company that had to prove its mettle. It was in February 2000 and I was on the floor with the Balaji team at the conceptual stage of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Though we weren't wary of the experiment, honestly we at that time didn't have an idea that it would be such a big hit.

About Balaji Telefilms
Every thing was so fresh and young at Balaji at that point of time. We were a bunch of youngsters in our twenties with our creative director, Ektaa Kapoor, also being twenty something.

It was just one of those times when I was doing everything as an associate creative director. Right from conceptualisation of a story, to etching and fleshing out the characters, to designing the sets, to auditions... I did everything. I remember we had to filter 20,000 plus wannabes just to get the handful that we wanted. Every nuance was looked at carefully, every single detail scrutinised.... we could not afford to have any glitches, guess that paid off and Kyunki... was a hit.

Then followed a series of projects, all soaps. I remember I was working on six shows at a time. It was no doubt a grinding experience, but that is what made me a better creative director and I guess kept me from getting bored, which usually happens if I think I am falling into a 'routine trap'.

Moving on to UTV
After working at Balaji for two busy years, I guess I had my fill of the soaps... I wanted to do something different. Then came an opportunity to work with another production house - UTV. Though it wasn't easy for me to leave a cushy job at Balaji and to venture into an arena that was completely new to me, I had to move on.

Joining UTV was a different ball game altogether. While my interactions thus far had been with people who were close to my age, the moment I stepped into UTV, I realised that things were going to be different. I was given a cabin at the end of the row and I realised that I was surrounded by people who were forty plus. I was the only 'bachhu' around... 25 something.

Working with UTV
When I joined UTV, I made a conscious decision that I would not be doing any more soaps. I had to experiment and the sooner the better, so I just dived in. Being an established company, the company was willing to experiment more. In fact, if you see UTV has a finger in all pies. Even though I must have been the youngest around, I did not have any difficulty settling in, courtesy Ronnie (Screwvala) and Zarina (Mehta). They just assigned me a project and let me free. They said, " It's your baby; you do what you want to with it. In case you make some mistake, we are here to support you."

We have a very proactive team at UTV. During our weekly board meeting, all of us… including executive producers, have to give at least one idea. For all you know, it could be scrapped, but you have to use your greys.

Both Ronnie and Zarina insist that we use some innovative ideas. For instance, there was a scene when I had pictured a chase sequence, I hired two Esteems keeping my fingers crossed that everything would go all right. Later, when I met Ronnie to explain the scene, he seriously suggested that I should use a Mercedes, so that it would be more authentic. And I was worried that he might think that a chase sequence was an added expenditure. According to Ronnie, the more efforts you put in, the better show you make.

On 'Kehta Hai Dil'
When I joined UTV, the first project that had been assigned to me was Kehta Hai Dil. We were very positive when we launched it. The original characters that we sketched were brilliant and the amount of time that we spent ideating was quite a lot, so we wanted it to work. But there was one major flaw. While people appreciated the show, it was episodic in nature, which meant that they could skip a few episodes and still not lose the track. We were losing out in the TRP race, so we decided to go for a change.

Personally, I am happy because all that I want is it to work. It's no use to continue making something that does not sell and then shelving it. With Kehta Hai Dil, we had already created a brand so we needed to keep it alive and kicking. Therefore, the idea of a family track evolved. While Karishma is the protagonist, the main thrust of our show is Lalita. She is the first ever villain with a knack for comedy, we were surprised with how well she worked.

What I did learn about children's programming…
When I took up Shaka Laka Boom Boom, I had no idea what was in store for me. I thought a programme for kids was a piece of cake, but it was quite harrowing. You think you have it all figured out, but kids are very smart these days. If given a chance, they will teach you a thing or two about programming. You cannot just put a few gizmos and expect everything to turn out fine.

What I learnt about responsible programming…
When in college, I was doing a project on the ill effects of Gutka. During the course of our study, we met a street kid having Gutka. When asked, he answered 'govinda bhi khata hai' (the Hindi film actor Govinda also has it, so why not me). It was the first time that I realised the reach of advertisement and television and the need for responsible role models. But I didn't stop there, I met up with Govinda under the pretext of being a cub reporter and interviewed him. In the course of the tete-a-tete, I brought up the subject. I think he said he did it for money, but I guess after that he hasn't done any more such ads.

My family is my biggest critique…
Though currently we are based in different parts of the country, dad in Chandigarh, mom in Kolkata, my sister in Bangalore, they make it a point to watch my shows, be it KHD or Shararat. There was one episode in KHD, where the leading lady had a blouse that was two shades different than her sari. My mom immediately called up to tell me. Last we spoke, she was telling me about the Niki Aneja starrer Astitva. According to her, like Astitva we should also be showing more realism in our shows.

Even my ten-year-old niece is quite clued in. I used to bounce off my ideas about SLBB on her and she has been brutally honest.

Essentials for a creative director…
Any Creative Director has to be a mass person. People management is by and large the most important thing. You need to know how to handle different people. You need to inspire your juniors in times when the TRPs are low and keep them interested when they are doing better.
When dealing with senior artistes, you need to have the knack of getting your point across without being bossy.

Future at UTV
Ronnie is a visionary. Thanks to him, we have learnt to think out of the box. Even if the idea is ridiculous, he will hear you out and try to analyse it. Currently, besides KHD and Shararat, I am working on childrens' programming. They are for television. I believe that kids' programming is the next biggest thing on television.

Why television?
The dynamics… the energy, there is never a single boring day when you are working for television. Plus you get paid for watching television and movies.

People I admire…
There are four people that I truly admire, Ravina Raj Kohli, Tarun Katial, Sameer Nair and Ektaa Kapoor. Ravina is quite an achiever, she was CEO at 31. I admire Tarun Katial, the efforts that he puts into his work. Sameer Nair knows the public pulse and has the conviction to pull it off. Lastly Ektaa Kapoor, she is one great businesswoman. When she hit a jackpot with Kyunki…, she knew more than letting it go to her head. She had a winner on her hands and she made sure she churned out a few more. She is very hard working. If she makes you work for 18 hours, be sure that she will work for 20.

Plus how can I forget my parents, who have been my support system.

Hobbies and Interests…
Reading... I have made it a habit to read at least one book per week, doesn't matter if it is fiction or non fiction. You need to have a fair idea of what goes around, what style is working. Something to get intrigued by....

I have recently taken up Bharatnatyam again. I used to dance when I was a kid. To tell you the truth, an hour that I spend on dance every alternate day is by and large the most relaxing hour of my life. After the practice, I am all charged up and raring to go.

If I get a chance, I run to my family home in Chandigarh. We have beautiful horses there. I just love riding. I even manage a game of tennis or two sometimes.