‘She Looked Like Twinkle Khanna’: How Smriti Irani Was Cast In Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
Producer Ektaa Kapoor shared an interesting behind-the-scenes story that challenges the long-standing belief that she was the one who selected Smriti Irani for the iconic role.
Smriti Irani, one of the most cherished faces of Indian television, has made a much-awaited comeback to the small screen with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Nearly 20 years later, the actress-turned-politician is once again captivating viewers as Tulsi, and fans couldn’t be more delighted. The reboot of the legendary Star Plus serial was launched on July 29, and viewers were flooded with nostalgia seeing Irani return to her iconic role.
However, what has caught even more attention than the show’s comeback is the unexpected revelation about how Smriti was first selected. During a live session on the official Instagram handle of Star Plus, producer Ektaa Kapoor narrated an interesting anecdote that overturned the widely held belief that she had chosen Smriti for the part.
Ektaa disclosed that her mother, Shobha Kapoor, had noticed Smriti during a different Star Plus programme and was immediately struck by her charm. She shared, “My mom saw Smriti in a show and said, ‘There’s a girl I saw in a programme… she’s really beautiful and I liked her a lot.’”
She further revealed that Smriti was actually filling in for one of Ektaa’s friends who couldn’t make it to the show that day, which is when Shobha Kapoor spotted her. “I was covering for one of Ektaa’s friends who didn’t turn up. It was completely accidental,” Ektaa explained.
Smriti Irani Compared to Twinkle Khanna
In the same interaction, Ektaa told Smriti, “I don’t know what you did back then, but my mom was really impressed. She’s a huge fan of Twinkle Khanna and she called me to say, ‘There’s this girl who resembles Twinkle Khanna, and she’s stunning—please cast her.’ So while people think I selected you for Kyunki, it was actually my mom who spotted you and said, ‘I really like this girl… what a face.’”
Smriti Irani’s Audition Experience
While Ektaa was impressed by Smriti’s performance during the audition, others on the set weren’t as convinced at the time. Ektaa said, “Smriti came for the auditions. She was very slim, very quiet and introverted. She finished her audition with such a charming smile.”
Ektaa Kapoor’s Show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi first went on air in July 2000. The daily soap became a turning point in Indian television history, particularly in the “saas-bahu” genre, and ran successfully for eight years. Created by Ektaa Kapoor, the series followed the life of a strong, virtuous, and selfless daughter-in-law, Tulsi Virani. Her character became a symbol of empowerment and challenged conventional female portrayals on screen. The show dealt with family ties, emotional relationships, and power struggles within a joint family.
Now, after 25 years, the latest season brings back many of the original cast members like Smriti Irani, Gauri Pradhan, Hiten Tejwani, Amar Upadhyay, Shakti Anand, and Ketki Dave. New actors such as Aman Gandhi, Rohit Suchanti, and Shagun Sharma have also been introduced.
Produced by Balaji Motion Pictures, Kyunki 2 returned to television on July 29 at 10:30 PM. Audiences can catch the fresh episodes on Star Plus or stream them on JioHotstar.
