They are the master craftsmen- artistes, technicians,visualisers, all rolled into one. They lend their artistry to mundane associations to create path breaking scenes and dramatic sequences. They are the directors, who direct the cumulative energy of their work force towards one creative whole - they are the captains of shows that make us laugh and cry. In this special fortnightly section, we pay our tribute to these masters, who choose to remain off the screen and create magic on it!

She laughs a lot...and you can't help but laugh along! Swapna Waghmare Joshi is a pleasure to speak to, that she carries no baggage of her illustrious background is perhaps the best thing about her.

Swapna Waghmare Joshi

Swapna is a writer-director who has done shows like Karam, Main, Ahankar, Hotel Kingston. She has directed critically acclaimed shows like the Pallavi Joshi starrer, Kehna Hai Kuch Mujhko which is very close to her heart. Ananya Sengupta chats up the director about her dreams and aspirations.

"I didn't want to be an engineer...."
I knew I wanted to do something in dramatics. My parents wanted me to be an engineer, but before I could be admitted, I told my dad rather subtly that I wanted to pursue drama! Luckily for me, he only insisted I get another graduate degree, along with my drama degree. So I went ahead and got my degree in English literature! In fact, I took the easy way out --my grandfather was the professor of English and I got all the books!

"The main problem for women is time management..."
With television being a 7 pm to 2 am job, it does becomes difficult sometimes. For a woman, her work is just one of her jobs! However much she tries, she cannot shed her other responsibilities. We have grown up on that! I have a nine and a half year old daughter and I make it a point not to shoot beyond nine!
Women here are in a no win situation, when I work, I feel guilty about leaving my kid at home and vice versa. But then, that is life...to live with the challenges!

Laughing through life's challenges!

"I don't like to expose women!"
I never want to do regressive shows! Another thing that I can never do is make my actors expose! I believe that exposure takes away the focus of the story I'm trying to tell.

"I'm very possesive about the characters I create"
When a show ends, I feel as if I've left my babies alone in the world! When I am etching out a character, I feel as if they are speaking to me...telling me what they want to do, even when I'm sleeping! My characters speak to me...my friends tell me I've gone mad! But what to do!

"I love it when my actors manage to surprise me!"
Pallavi Joshi surprised me with her performance in Kehna Hai Kuch Mujhko and it's still a nagging pain that it went off air! Other actors who've managed to surprise me are Hiten Tejwani, Amit Verma, Sonal Sehgal, Gauri Pradhan and Amit Verma.

"As long as TRPs don't make me change my style, I'm ok with it!"
I really don't understand TRPs! I have had very few expereinces, wherein I had to do something drastic due to TRPs. I am ok with it as long as it doesn't entail changing my style!

With daughter Sanhita

"I dream of making a film"
As is the case with all directors, I too want to make films! Then I also want to make a historical musical serial! I haven't started writing, because I am afraid of it being not accepted! I also want to make a serial on Swami Vivekananda!

"When I look into the eyes of my parents I know I have achieved something!"
My parents never stopped me from pursuing what I loved doing! Other relatives who were apprehensive, never dared to tell me anything because my parents approved. When I look into the eyes of my parents, I know that I have achieved something!

"I want my daughter to dream for herself"
Well, I don't dream for my daughter! As far as the present goes...I'd just want her to stop fighting with me! As far as she's concerned, sometimes, she wants to be a doctor, sometimes, a director and there are times when she wants to quit studying after the seventh standard!