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Smriti Irani, who became a household name in the early 2000s as Tulsi Virani in 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi', has never shied away from discussing the challenges she faced in her television journey. In a recent conversation on Raj Shamani’s podcast, the actor-turned-politician reflected on how the daily soap's demanding schedule impacted her personal life, including her health and motherhood.

When Smriti Irani shot three days after giving birth

At the peak of Kyunki’s popularity, Smriti recalled, there was no room for a break — even after delivering a child. “My son was three days old when I came back to the set of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Why? Because everyone wanted to watch a new episode daily at 10:30 pm,” she said. She even continued filming after suffering a miscarriage.

While filmmaker Ravi Chopra granted her a week’s leave during that time, the relentless nature of daily television didn’t allow Ekta Kapoor, the show’s producer, the same flexibility. Irani shared, “Somebody in the production went and told Ekta, ‘We’re ready to shoot. But Smriti Irani isn’t available. She is lying. Nothing has actually happened to her.’ So I had to go back with my hospital reports to prove it actually happened.”

When Smriti Irani was fired from Kuch Dil Se

She also recounted another disheartening episode from her stint as a talk show host on 'Kuch Dil Se', which aired on SAB TV. Smriti, then in her ninth month of pregnancy, had continued shooting despite being advised against it. “I was working with somebody till the last day of the ninth month. It was a daily talk show, Kuch Dil Se. I was told to record a bank of worth 30 days and come back to work after 30 days,” she recalled.

Driven by the financial responsibility of repaying her home loan, Smriti juggled both the talk show and the daily soap, ignoring warnings from doctors and family alike. But what followed was a shock. “I’m in the hospital after giving birth to my baby, and I get a wire: ‘You’re fired.’ And I’d just shot (for the talk show) a day before. They were just waiting for me to get into the hospital to tell me I’m fired. They’d already made a bank so they could replace me. Their intention was to use my hard work in favour of my replacement,” she said.

Still, Smriti chose not to respond with outrage. “They hired a film actor for it. Their exhibit was much bigger, they were a bigger name. And the show shut down. It never started again,” she added with a quiet sense of vindication.

'Kuch Dil Se', which aired in the early 2000s, was a project close to Irani — not only did she anchor the show, but she was also involved in scripting and research.

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi Reboot

Now, over two decades later, Smriti is ready to step back into the shoes of Tulsi Virani once more. She will reprise her iconic role in the upcoming reboot of 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi', produced by Balaji Telefilms. The new season premieres July 29 on StarPlus and JioCinema (formerly JioHotstar), promising a nostalgic return to one of Indian television’s most iconic characters.