New Delhi: Smriti Irani’s return to television with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 sparked a wave of reactions online. Having portrayed the character of Tulsi for eight years, Irani practically became a part of Indian households. Dinner was incomplete without her on TV.
While the role gave Irani a strong public identity and popularity, her political career took her to even greater heights. She is a senior BJP leader, a former MP, and has served as a Cabinet minister.
Yet, when it comes to choosing between her two avatars—Tulsi the adarsh (ideal) bahu or Irani the politician—the audience on X has clearly sided with nostalgia by a landslide.
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‘Once an actor…’
After 17 years, Smriti Irani has stepped back into the role of Tuls, and the show’s first episode aired on 29 July. While the audience was overjoyed to watch Tulsi and the entire Virani family in Shanti Niketan, many are calling it Irani’s “quiet retreat from politics”.
“Once an actor, always an actor! Smriti Irani as Tulsi Virani was just so natural in the first episode. It felt so good to see her act…” wrote Mutuza Iqbal on X.
Another user echoed the sentiment. “Smriti Irani, now a politician, is still lovingly remembered as Tulsi, even by Gen Z,” read the post.
While many lauded her performance, others were quick to celebrate her alleged exit from politics.
“Relevance chahiye. Time pass karna hai didi ko (Wants relevance. She wants to pass time),” read a comment on Irani’s post on X.
“Drama queen finally in real drama,” said another.
“That’s the right place for her, not politics,” wrote A Khaleel, member of the All India Professional Congress.
Some called her portrayal of Tulsi a “masterclass in acting”.
“It is better for all concerned. She is amazingly articulate and energetic, but for all that she did not do anything substantial as a minister,” wrote X user Veeresh K S.
Whether this marks a full-circle moment or simply a strategic career pivot, Smriti Irani’s return to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi has ignited debate as much as it has invoked nostalgia. And one thing is certain: Tulsi hasn’t lost her hold on the Indian audience.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)