One of TRT Sales’ standout titles this year, Children of Paradise follows İskender, a former gangster from İstanbul who finds himself starting over in a quiet Aegean town. With its themes of hope, healing, and new beginnings, the series tells a deeply human story.
For our DICM 2025 issue, we had the opportunity to speak with Melisa Şenolsun to delve deeper into the show.
Ayla is a character who has betrayed the man she loves. How would you describe her? What do you think truly motivated her to make that choice?
Ayla had a tough childhood, filled with pain and struggle. She had to grow up too fast and raise herself. Because of that, she’s always made her own choices and felt the need to protect herself, her brother, and the people she cares about, until she meets İskender. I can’t reveal the reason behind her betrayal without giving too much away, but you’ll see it in the coming episodes. Let’s just say she’s been fighting alone for a long time, and sometimes her strength simply wasn’t enough.
Despite her mistakes, viewers really seem to empathize with her. What made you want to play this character, and what was it about her that drew you in the most?
Ayla shows what it really means to be human, with all her flaws, strengths, and sins. What I loved most was how real she is. She’s not all good or all bad, like we often see in TV characters 🙂 There’s depth in Ayla’s silence, strength in her presence, and courage in the way she carries her pain. I wanted to bring a strong woman to life, someone who feels real and believable, not idealized. Ayla doesn’t complain or feel sorry for herself; she never had the chance to while growing up. She knows how to keep going and how to fight. No matter how much she gets hurt, Ayla always finds the strength and the will to keep going.
In the fourth episode, Ayla comes face to face with İskender again. How do you think their relationship will progress? What kind of confrontation awaits them?
I’m not sure, we’ll have to wait and see.
If you were to introduce the series to international audiences, which aspects would you highlight? And what do you think makes the story universal?
The story’s universal appeal comes from its themes of family and love…
Read our exclusive interviews with the Children of Paradise cast here.
