One would assume that a dearth of good roles and the birth of her daughter last year kept Shilpa Saklani away from the screen, but the actor has been busy behind the scenes. “My heart always belonged behind the scenes; I guess the timing was not right then,” says Saklani, who, along with actor-husband Apurva Agnihotri, has been planning to start their own production house.

While the couple is busy working out the logistics of floating a production house, Saklani has joined the cast of Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal. She plays a werewolf in the fantasy fiction show, which is based on. The Vampire Diaries. Ask her why she chose to add more responsibilities to her plate, and she says that she was only too happy to reunite with the makers. “When they [the makers] called me, I knew it would be something worth my while. I didn’t ask them too many questions. I had not seen The Vampire Diaries, but had heard of the cult show. They didn’t leave me any options after [pestering] me for three days. I knew they would be after my life, which is always good,” explains Saklani, who is now mother to five-month-old Ishaani.