How did Aap Ki Shanti come about?
When we had made Shanti, a lot of women wrote in with their problems. We realised that we needed to draw the line between fact and fiction and put together a show where the Shanti present in every one of us is brought to light.

What is Aap Ki Shanti all about?
As I just said, Aap Ki Shanti is about the Shanti in each one of us. It is about, say, Vandana Gupta, who, after being fighting cancer, has set up an emotional support group for cancer patients called V-Care. Or it could be about Meena Salvi, the first female commando in Mumbai police force, who grew up in a troubled neighbourhood, faced early widowhood and in spite of an injury went on to become a commando.
Or it could be about Naulin Kumar, a social worker who fights for the rights of tribals and child abuse. Or, Mrinal Gore and Ahilyatai Rangnekar, who have given their life for the nation, and are still fighting against inflation in their own way.
Or is it about Prema Purav, who heads an organisation which supplies more than 6000 dabbas a day to Mumbai's hungry workforce? Or could it be about Ujwala Patil-Dhar, the first Asian woman to sail around the world, and is a low profile sub-editor with the Indian Express group.
Or it could be about such high-fliers as Rabia Fatehally's family of women pilots. Or about Indira Hinduja, who created India's first test-tube baby. It is, in short, about the real achiever in each one of us. It is about any woman who is not a face, but has overcome life's odds and is living a meaningful life. For them, it is not a victory or achievement, but coping with the traumas and facing life with a smile. It is this emotion that we want to capture, as it can rekindle the hope in millions.

How does Mandira Bedi fit into all this?
Taking the line from fiction to reality, Mandira is talking to the real life Shantis. Inherently, she is also a sincere and compassionate person. So, our choice was Mandira.

What next?
A story on HIV positive people; a story on women affected by thallasemia; Tarla Dalal and her transformation from housewife to a brand; Tabassum and her 52 years in Bollywood and her 21 years of stint as TV queen.
We are also trying to get in mother-daughter relationships like Shubha Khote-Bhavna Balsaver. And of course, the ideas of the audience will always be taken in. We have so many people writing in. And commending the effort and sending in stories.
Aap Ki Shanti is also about people coming in and sharing their stories.

How different was it while shooting Aap Ki Shanti in comparison to Shanti?
The format itself is different. This is a real show where we are dealing with real people, as against Shanti which was a pre-determined piece of fiction. Here, there can be cancellations at the last minute where the fact of the day has a problem. The planning has to be very effective in Aap Ki Shanti.
The shows design is constantly changing and evolving, and depends on who we have as the featured guests. Some people are articulate, some are introverted, and some others are plain camera-shy. And not every achiever is a face. The challenge is to make every episode interesting in its own way. And that is a constant process.

With such hectic headlines, where does the energy to meet deadlines come from?
The canvas is so large. We meet so many interesting and inspiring people, and their real fight is a great leveller. By doing this kind of a show, one is serving a larger cause by bringing alive people. That has been the inspiration. And that is what keeps us going.

What is on next? A show on successful men?
Not really. This is going to engage us for quite a while. But you never know. We could take a look at the men behind successful women, later.