Creative Director Mukta Dhond on Divya Drashti, Naagin 4 and more

MUMBAI: She is a single mom to a three-year-old boy. She is a crazy lover of her pet dog, Bobby. She is a die-hard romantic. She allows only a handful of people to rule her personal space. She loves to create shows, which are nothing but an extension of herself. That is Mukta Dhond, the creative genius, who has lend her expertise to many popular shows in the past. Her latest offering is Star Plus' Divya Drashti and coming up next is Balaji Telefilms most acclaimed show Naagin 4.

In the last 20 years, the Mumbai-born creative director / producer has effortlessly moved from being an executive producer to a co-producer. She has been there and done that.

She has proven adept across the making of various television shows and does not have a single financially or critically failing show to her name. Dhond knows well enough her craft and how to rake money out of it.

Mukta's journey is as fascinating as her personality, From being a tyro to a creative genius, she is a role model to many. "I come from a family where education is given paramount importance. Hence, even though I had a focused goal, I graduated in Economics and Statistics, and then went on to chart my journey," she says. As a creative director, however, she has committed to exploring the nature of creativity. "I have been a voracious reader, and all the learning has somehow been part of my shows," explains Dhond, who has also worked in Indonesia for years, before making it big here. "My years back comprised creatively producing shows and that gave me a strong foundation. The tortuous experience made my life simple ahead.” Finally, from being tyro

The grammar of her shows is very different. She is known as the weekender queen after churning out successful weekend shows. Apart from that, she has also creatively produced shows like Kundali Bhagya, Qayamat Tak, Madhubala and others. "It was during one of the narrations with Ekta Kapoor; I made some references straight out of wizard-based stories, and then Ekta popped the million-dollar question, 'Why don't you head Naagin?' I was amazed, amused, bewildered and didn't know what to do. But, I did it," she says. "You evolve. You grow, and you learn many lessons on your way. The biggest lesson that I learned from Ekta is to follow your instincts, and trust me, it has worked for me," quips Dhond.

On her new show, Divya Drashti, Dhond says, "I wanted to do a show on premonition, and that idea was immediately picked up by B.P. Sir and Pradeep Sir (the owners of Fireworks Productions). I was amazed by their conviction. My biggest take away is, give a free hand and have complete trust on the person to whom you have assigned responsibilities," says Dhond, who is also the trustee with Bal Asha Trust. "I am one of the trustees, and I love to devote my time to these kids. Trust me. It's the time that I spend with these kids that gives me immense satisfaction," she adds.

And for now, Dhond is busy with Naagin 4, and if rumours have to be believed she is poised to launch another show for Fireworks, and before she signs off, she candidly says, "I believe in relationships. My faith in love and romance is never-ending, “she concludes.