‘You can be our competition when…’: Smriti Irani reveals what she thinks about Kyunki's comparison with Anupamaa
Smriti Irani shut down all chatter about her show being compared to Rupali Ganguly’s Anupamaa. Here's what she said
Smriti Irani, who has reprised as her iconic role as Tulsi Virani in the reboot of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, recently addressed the ongoing comparisons between her show and Rupali Ganguly’s cult favourite Anupama. In an interview with India Today, Irani was asked how she feels about being constantly pitted against Anupama and its lead star Rupali Ganguly. But the former Union Minister had a crisp response ready.
“I don’t (look at them as competition),” she said. “So when somebody gets to number 30 in terms of TRPs, then you can be our competition, right? We were there 25 years ago. If you have the capacity to be remembered for 25 years, then we will talk about competition.”
The actor-politician, known for her straightforward attitude, reminded everyone that Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi once ruled television with record-breaking ratings. “If you have been a three-time MP, a cabinet minister for a decade, a BJP person for 25 years — if you want to compete, you have to be fair to everybody in the so-called competitive sphere. Do you measure up on all these standards? Then compete. You can’t have somebody who's just started something and say, ‘Compete with Smriti Irani.’”
Reflecting on the show’s lasting legacy, Irani pointed out how rare it is for any daily soap to make a return after 25 years and still be met with such love. “So the competition or even referring to such a competition is unfair, because you’ll never get to 30. And you’ll never be consistently number one for eight years, which we were. The fact that we’ve had competitive mediums, and yet managed to come back after 25 years — that’s remarkable.”
She also spoke about how Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi continues to resonate even in today’s OTT-driven world. “Today, it’s not as if I am acting or conveying a story only on television. I have both. So if I look at the reference numbers on OTT, which is a very hard market to crack, it is so complex. So, for a show that is so-called old school to resonate so loudly on OTT, that speaks volumes.”
Smriti further credited Ekta Kapoor for creating a television legend, recalling how Kyunki’s massive success made Kapoor’s production company one of the first Indian TV entities to be listed on the stock exchange. “So I mean, am I competing with anybody at the Stock Exchange? So [all these competition talks], I think it’s foolhardy,” she added.
About Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
Premiering in 2000, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi became a cultural milestone that transformed Indian television and turned Smriti Irani into a household name. Now, 25 years later, she returns as Tulsi alongside Amar Upadhyay, who reprises his role as Mihir. The show is available to watch on JioHotstar.
