Now, as the financial year comes to an end what should be the turnover this year at Sri Adhikari Brothers?
This year we should be crossing Rs 30 crore and our 10 rupee share has gone up to something between Rs 80 - Rs 100.

You're the only one to have three daily shows amongst your other shows (all on Doordarshan) and now you've started another daily called Five Day Thriller. Do you think it will click especially when the slot (2.30 afternoon - DD2 ) caters to women audience?
It's a daily thriller, a suspense with each story stretching into 5 episodes that is, each mystery will be solved in five days. There are so many social subjects on TV especially in the afternoon that this will be a novelty, something new in this slot. I guess women would also be fed up with so many tear-jerkers and it's not that a thriller doesn't interest women. And we're known for doing something new. Like when Shriman Shrimati started in the 8pm slot -- a dead slot -- but today it is the best slot for a sitcom. We started All the Best, a countdown interwoven with a sitcom and today there are so many countdowns with sitcom formats.

And what about the commercial viability?
Commercial viability is difficult. Not just for this thriller but for anything on DD2. But we're confident it will pick up. And we've dedicated and loyal to the channel. We'll stick to it even in bad times and not run away like other producers. There was a time when DD2 was giving a run to the satellite channels. I feel there is a lobby campaigning against DD2 and they're working hard to bring down the Network though of course even Doordarshan should improve its transmission quality.

Why is it that all your projects are on Doordarshan?
No we've worked with private channels earlier. Like Commander was produced by us for Zee. When EL TV started our sitcom Teri Bhi Chup Meri Bhi Chup was the first one, there was Kabhi Idhar Kabhi Udhar on Home TV. Now our main target is Doordarshan. Because of its vast reach. DD is the largest broadcaster with a connectivity of 60 million homes. And also working with a satellite channel means giving away the copyrights which we don't want to. And also if your programme on a satellite channel is extremely successful you don't get the fruits of it, all the profits go to the channel which is not the case with DD. It's only in India that a channel asks for the rights, otherwise world over the property is owned by the producer.

Recently you also tied up with a channel in Sri Lanka. Why?
It's an arrangement with a channel called Sirasa TV and we produce seven hours of entertainment in a week in their local language Sinhalese. It's a new avenue for our group. We're just trying to expand our empire.

After your first Hindi film Bhookamp (with Rahul Roy and Mamta Kulkarni) bombed is it quits on the film front or are you planning any more films?
We are working on a tele-feature film, not a telefilm. There is a difference. A tele feature film is a film which would first premiered on television. Everything else is done like a feature film. The music is by Anu Malik, audio is on Tips cassette. The budget of the film is around Rs 1 crore. We expect top break even in the first run. Then of course there are re-runs. This is the future of television and people won't understand this now but will after five years. We are investing for the future and as I said we've been trendsetters.

Finally tell us what else is in the pipeline?
We're widening our range in the regional market. Because there is a lot of scope to grow in the regional areas. We're producing software in South and Bengal. Then there is also a lot of export potential overseas. Like our programmes are being aired in America, New Zealand, UK, Mauritius and many other countries. So wait and watch. (Laughs).