Dayal Nihalani, well known director of documentary and feature films as well as TV serials, will direct the venture; the producer is another Chandigarhian, Ajay Goswami of Milton Films & Television International. (Classmates at New Public School and DAV College will remember him.) Others in the cast include Mehar Mittal and Pankaj Beri.

Nihalani, along with the producer and several of the serial's actors met the press here today to describe the venture.

Lakeraan, written by Irshad Kamil of the serial Kahan Se Kahan Tak fame, is "a family drama depicting modern Punjabi culture with old social values".

Nihalani has employed a large number of Punjabi artistes. Among them is Brijesh Ahuja, a local lad; he sings the serial's title song; the music director is Prashaan Samdar (assistant director of composer A. R. Rehman). Gick Grewal doubles as costume designer for the serial.

Chandigarh and environs is the locale. The team will be in the city for about 10 days every month to shoot, Nihalani told media persons.

Commenting on the prospects for Punjabi serials in the already highly competitive world of TV channels, Mehar Mittal predicted: "the beginning may be difficult but Punjabi will dominate in the long run," he said, adding that Punjabis constitute 70 per cent of the industry at present. Goswami denied that it would be another run-of-the-mill serial. "Our aim is to show how difficult it is to build and sustain a house full of love and how easy it is to destroy it," he justifies.