Smriti Zubin Irani is all set to get her new serial ‘Virrudh' on air. It is not only being produced by her, but she also plays the protagonist. ‘Virrudh' deals with a concept that has not been dealt with before on television and Sony has pinned all its hope on it. The serial will be on air from March 26.

These days our saas-cum-bahu has all her concentration on ‘Virrudh' and Vasudha, the role Smriti portrays in the serial. According to Smriti, ‘Virrudh' is the story of a girl, the lead protagonist, who is blinded by her fathers love.

She respects her father so much that cannot bear anything against him. He is a demi god for her and has blind faith for him. It is later that she realizes that it is not true and by them all her other relationships are on the rock.

About her character in the serial, Smriti says, "I play Vasudha, the lead protagonist in the serial. She is the most loving daughter of this businessman Dhirendra Raisinghaniya. Dhirendra depends and trust only her.

The fact that Vasudha being an illegitimate daughter has been acknowledged by Dhirendra has led to her immense faith and respect for her father. But this is not the truth. Things take a turn for her when she realizes the truth about her father. The rest you watch in the serial."

Smriti says that the serial is unique in more ways than one. The entire concept is something which is not dealt with before on television. It is a story about a daughter and the relationships around her. It is not the usual stuff which we see on television. It has a very strong story with excellent cast who have put their best into the serial.

In ‘Virrudh', Smriti has tried to portray different shades of a woman and hence the serial also carries a tagline ‘Har Rishta Ek Kuruskhetra'. When asked about it, Smirti says, "It was my decision to name my project so because the protagonist, Vasudha, has to go against all relationships.

The tag line was given by the channel when they heard the story of the protagonist they felt like she was ‘Abhimanyu' of Mahabharat who gets stuck in the ‘Chakravyhu'."

Smriti, who is also a BJP MP, points out that the decision to play the protagonist's role in the serial was not her, but that of the channel. "Vasudha is a woman who is matured, unmarried and someone who is more serious about her goals in life. It is my fortune that they thought I was the one who could do justice to the character."

Vasudha aka Smriti promises us that the storyline of ‘Virrudh' will remain the same and not undergo any changes later. She says that like her previous serial ‘Thodi Si Zamen Thora Aasman' she would try to keep the story line the same. An optimist Smriti iterates, "It is the story and the concept which will take the serial ahead. We have a very technically strong crew. They will definitely do a good job."

According to the original Tulsi of Kyunki Saas ...‘Virrudh' was conceptualized a year ago. And since it is a story which cannot be elongated and neither have flowery language, she was waiting for the right opportunity for the right actors and the right slot. As soon as she was satisfied she went ahead.

However, Smriti does not feel that it is it necessary for actors to become producers to prove their worth. On the contrary, she says that she has always looked for good roles. She has done a variety of roles and she also has a creative mind, Smriti claims.

"So went ahead with my creation and have become a producer." Smriti says that though she has graduated from being an actor to a producer also, she doesn't have the technical knowledge to become a director. "I can write script, act and produce but direction is something that I will leave to the experts," she confesses.

Although doing two dailies and one weekly now is a hectic affair, Smriti is confident of managing her career and family with equal ease and commitment. "Yes I will be and I'm managing it. It all depends on how you manage your time. If you want, to you will manage it," she says.

About her future plans, Smriti says that there is one project in the pipe-line with Zee, but refuses to talk about it now. "All I will tell you is that it is not for Zee TV," she signs off. - (SAMPURN)