Ekta Kapoor’s soap opera Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Thi, which initially aired from 2000-2008, is back on July 29 with Smriti Irani once again taking on the role of Tulsi, and to mark the occasion we have Smriti Irani’s throwback unpublished interview with Subhash K Jha.
For Smriti Malhotra, playing the eponymous Tulsi in the spectacularly successful soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was a lesson in small-screen stardom. Everywhere she was greeted warmly as the No. 1 girl next door of the nation, Tulsi Virani. Did Smriti suffer from an identity crisis?
Now, where did you come from?
My first television assignment was for Shrey Guleri’s countdown show Bakeman’s Ooh La La. He had an audition in the office, and I was required to read my lines. I enjoyed doing that since it was a performance-oriented countdown show. I was required to compare the old and new way of portraying women in Hindi cinema. Now, of course, I’m playing the blend of modern and traditional in Kyunki Saas.
How did Ekta Kapoor zero in on you for the role?
Ekta Kapoor’s mom, Mrs Shobha Kapoor, happened to see me in Ooh La La. That’s how I got Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. But before that, I played a weak and under-confident character in Aatish. I was a girl who doesn’t know how to express herself in life. Unfortunately, Aatish didn’t click. But it gave me a chance to work with a talented director like Sanjay Upadhyay. In Kyunki Saas… and Kavita, I’m using what I learnt from Sanjay Upadhyay in Aatish.
What kind of fan response do you get for your part as Tulsi in Kyunki Saas…?
To be honest, I don’t get mobbed as a star. I’m treated like a member of every family that watches Kyunki Saas… That’s the biggest compliment for me as an actress. They don’t think of me as an actress. They think of me as the character I play. They call out to me as Tulsi. Even on the sets of my other serial Kavita, they call me Tulsi. We’ve been working together for the last one year. All of us in Kyunki Saas… have become like a real-life family.
Do strangers give you advice on how to cope with mother-in-law problems?
Whenever there was a conflict between me and my screen-mother-in-law elders and people younger to me came forward to comfort me. It was very heartwarming to see people take the drama so seriously.
And now when your screen husband Mihir played by Amar Upadhyay is dead?
Everyone is too shocked. They behave how one would behave with one’s own daughter or daughter-in-law if such a tragedy were to happen in her life. They are speechless with grief. Frankly, it troubles me to see so many people so depressed.
Do you feel guilty and responsible?
It isn’t a pleasant experience to see people being so deeply affected by your performance. I never anticipated this kind of response. We knew the bond between our soap and the audience was strong. But this strong?! I don’t think this has ever happened in the history of television.
Maybe perhaps during Humlog and Buniyaad?
I don’t think the emotional impact of these great soaps cut across all age groups. Even when Buniyaad was on, my favourite serial used to be Kavita Chowdhury’s Udaan. I couldn’t look beyond Udaan when I was a child. For me to get such overwhelming responses from kids and grownups, doctors and teachers, is amazing. People have been calling up to ask if Amar Upadhyay, who plays Mihir, is actually dead. His death in the serial was so sudden, viewers didn’t have time to prepare themselves. The suddenness shocked viewers. Usually, when an impending tragedy is prolonged, their grief is cushioned, or they simply lose interest.
Ekta tells me you did the breakdown sequence after Mihir’s death in one take. Are you a trained actress?
No, Sir. I‘ve had no formal training. I firmly believe an acting school can, at the most, sharpen your skills. You can’t be taught how to act. I place myself in Tulsi’s position and react accordingly. I’ve made a conscious attempt not to model my performance on any actor or actress. I’m thankful to Ekta Kapoor for giving me Tulsi. She’s always dead-on with her casting.
Do you aspire to be a movie actress?
I aspired to be a performer. And I am. I don’t see a possibility of being slotted in the typical heroine’s role. Once an image on television is established, it’s difficult to break into movies. The only actor who has done that is Mr Shah Rukh Khan. I don’t know of any actress going from the lead on television to the same status in the cinema. Moreover, after playing strong women like Kavita and Tulsi on television, it would be very difficult for audiences to accept me as a routine running-around-trees heroine. Apne hi pair pe kuladhi nahin marni mujhe. I’m going slow and steady on television, accepting only challenging roles. I’ve signed a couple of other serials. They haven’t gone on the floors as yet. I believe in giving myself time to recuperate as a performer before going to the next serial.
So what are you doing in the atrocious sitcom Kal Aaj Aur Kal?
I was just trying to break away from the serious dramatics of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kavita. I don’t want people to burst into tears each time they see me. I want them to be smile and be happy.
What’s your prescription for happiness?
I go out and meet a lot of people. A performer needs to refurbish life’s experiences all the time.
Does your fiancé (now her husband) watch Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi?
He has seen some of it. He‘s quite shocked by its popularity. No one thought an Indian soap could make an actress so popular. Yes, he’s very proud of me. And so are my parents. With my academic background, they were quite surprised when I announced my intention to act. They thought I’d waste my talents in acting. Also, they feared that my values would be eroded. But they are very happy and proud that I’ve preserved my dignity. No one approaches me to do a bimbette’s role.
