BY: Tarunima SIngh
NEW DELHI: After 15 years of last being seen on Television as an actor, Smriti Irani is making her grand comeback on Television. The Former Union Minister, is back with her iconic show Kyunki Saas bhi kabhi Bahu thi. The teaser which was released yesterday, 8 July, 2025, showed Smriti Rani in his iconic role of 2000, Tulsi.
Smriti Irani’s comeback also sets a new financial benchmark in the television industry. According to media reports, she is now the highest-paid Indian TV actress, paid ₹14 lakh per episode, a massive leap from the modest ₹1,800 per episode she earned during her initial run as Tulsi Virani. The production has gone to great lengths to ensure privacy and security on set, including deploying Z+ level security in response to her high-profile public status.
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“I became a part of people’s lives”
Irani shared how deeply personal the role of Tulsi had become in India’s cultural memory:
“I became a part of families, of individual lives. A child saw me at the airport and remembers that. That’s a huge responsibility. It humbles you.”
“Even if people disagree with my views today, they should still feel I’m relatable. That’s the power and weight of this role.”
READ: https://t.co/k8wZneVYWJ
India’s Tulsi Returns: Smriti Irani Makes Comeback in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
15 years after leaving TV, @smritiirani returns as Tulsi with ₹14L per episode, setting a new industry record. The show premieres July 29 on @StarPlus &… pic.twitter.com/MKWr8Z45gb
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) July 9, 2025
“We spoke about issues cinema didn’t dare touch”
Reacting to critics who called the original show regressive, Irani offered a sharp reminder:
“The show spoke about marital rape 25 years ago. It addressed adult literacy and euthanasia. These weren’t issues even mainstream cinema touched at the time. We did it in a 10:30 pm family drama slot, led by a female producer and a female lead.”
“We brought pay parity 25 years ago—where your talent decided your pay, not your gender.”
The show will also bring back several original cast members, including Amar Upadhyay as Mihir Virani, Shilpa Saklani, Sumeet Sachdev, and Hiten Tejwani, among others. The reboot is expected to retain the core emotional values of the original while reinterpreting them for a modern audience.
“It’s a blessed run”
Reflecting on her dual career, Irani shared,
“For a 49-year-old to have a 25-year run—not only in media but also politics—is a blessed run. In our country’s history, never has somebody managed to be successful in both these very competitive fields. And more so, if you’re a woman.”
She emphasized that this comeback, just three weeks before the show goes on air, is part of a deeper responsibility to an industry that shaped her and still remains underappreciated in the entertainment hierarchy.
“I am a full-time politician and a part-time actor”
Asked whether she was nervous about her return to the screen, she laughed it off:
“I’m a politician. Nothing you throw at me will make me nervous ever.”
Smriti Irani clarified that her political duties remain her priority:
“I am a full-time politician and a part-time actor—just like many politicians are part-time lawyers or teachers.”
The show will be released on Star Plus and Jio Star from 29 July, 2025. The reboot, produced once again by Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms, will run for 150 episodes in its initial limited series arc.
As the countdown begins for the show’s return, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 promises not just high drama and emotion, but also a reconnection with characters who helped define Indian television for an entire generation.
