Part-Time Actor, Full-Time Politician, Says Smriti Irani; Opens Up On Language Row
"We celebrate the complexities. As an Indian, not as a politician, when the world turns against you, the only person you can count on is an Indian," Smriti Irani said.
Former MP and actor Smriti Irani is stepping back into the shoes of her fan-favourite character Tulsi Virani in the upcoming Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi reboot. However, she said she is a full-time politician and part-time actor.
"It (Kyunki Saans Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) is a side project," Irani told NDTV in an exclusive interview. She further added, "Just like many politicians are part-time lawyers, part-time teachers, part-time journalists. I just happen to be a part-time actor. I've done it simultaneously, which is what I think is difficult to grasp."
Irani is coming back as the 'bahu' in the popular soap opera which was first aired on Star Plus 25 years ago. The original producer Ekta Kapoor is also backing the reboot of the series.
When asked if she was nervous to return in front of the camera in her old role, she said, "I'm a politician...Nothing that you throw at me will make me nervous ever."
The actor-politician, however, pointed out that there is a "huge difference" between how TV is perceived today and how it was positioned 25 years ago.
The actor that touched millions of households across cultures and languages also discussed the rising language row in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
"In a country of 16,000 dialects and 125 constitutionally recognised languages, I don't care who has what headline. All I care about is when the nation calls, no matter what language you speak, will you step up," she told NDTV.
She highlighted the importance of national unity amid a huge row over the Marathi language in Maharashtra, with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena members targeting a few non-Marathi persons in the state.
"We celebrate the complexities. As an Indian, not as a politician, when the world turns against you, the only person you can count on is an Indian," Irani said.
"The government of the day is mindful of the cultural heritage that we celebrate," she added.
Notably, Irani served as a Union Minister from 2014 to 2024, handling various portfolios. Her political popularity peaked in 2019, when she wrested the politically crucial Lok Sabha seat of Amethi. However, she lost from the constituency in the parliamentary polls last year.
