Smriti Irani played an important role in changing the landscape of Indian television with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The actress-turned-politician immortalised the character of Tulsi Virani with her acting prowess and made a place for herself in every household across the country. While working on the Ekta Kapoor-produced daily soap, Smriti also managed the shoot of Ravi Chopra's Ramayan.
In her latest interview on Neelesh Misra's The Slow Interview, she recalled suffering a miscarriage while working on the popular shows. She revealed, "I was not aware that I am pregnant. I was on the set (of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) and I told them I am not well enough to shoot and asked to be allowed to go home. But still, I worked, and by the time they let me go, it was evening already. The doctor suggested I go for sonography. On my way, I started bleeding, and I remember it was raining. I stopped an auto and asked the driver to take me to the hospital. I reached the hospital, a nurse came running to ask for an autograph, while I was bleeding. I gave her the autograph, and asked her, ‘Admit kaar loge, I think I am miscarrying.'"
Smriti further shared she was asked to report to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi's set immediately after her miscarriage and how a co-star felt it was all staged. "The person didn’t realise that I had returned because I needed money to pay EMIs for my house. The next day, I took all my medical papers to Ekta (Kapoor, producer) to tell her it is not a drama. She got uncomfortable and told me not to show the papers. I told her, ‘Foetus bacha nahi, warna woh bhi dikha deti.'"
On the other hand, Ravi Chopra asked Smriti to take rest instead of reporting to the set of Ramayan. "He told me, ‘Tumhara dimag kharab hai? Do you know how it feels to lose a child, you have just gone through that. Kal aane ki zaroorat nahi.' I pushed and said, ‘Ravi ji Sunday ka episode hai, Sita replace nahi ho sakti.' He said, ‘Main kar lunga (I will manage).'" When she informed him that she was called for the shoot of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, he asked her to use Ramayan's shift to sleep and rest.
Smriti's last acting project was Ek Thhi Naayka, a mini-series which released in 2013. She's been a Minister in the Union Cabinet of India since May 2014 and is currently administrating the Ministries of Women and Child Development.
(Source: Neelesh Misra's The Slow Interview)
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