Filmmaker Ektaa Kapoor and Smriti Irani’s show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi returned to television after 17 years, also marking Smriti’s comeback. In a recent interview with Times Now, Smriti revealed how a female producer gave the show a strange time slot when it was released in 2000, but it still went on to redefine Indian television.
Smriti Irani recalls female producer giving a late-night slot to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
Smriti said that the reboot of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is a retelling of the story and said, “Wo story jise raat ke bohot hi ajeeb o gareeb slot main dhakela gaya kyuki ek mahila producer ek story ko lekar bohot utsahit thi. Ek bohot bada show 9 baje aane wala tha Star Plus pe aur us show aur hmare beech faasla bohot tha (That story was once told at a very odd and obscure hour on television, pushed to a late-night slot, because a female producer was passionately backing a story. Star Plus had a major show lined up for the 9 PM prime time slot, and there was a huge gap between that show and ours).”
She added in Hindi, “Our show created history. People often say history doesn’t repeat itself, but I guess we proved that wrong. We repeated history. If someone says there’s a show running today that will be recreated or relived 25 years from now, I don’t think that’s possible. So, achieving that kind of milestone on Indian television, that’s no small feat.”
About Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
The show, which first aired in 2000, revolved around Tulsi Virani (played by Smriti Irani), the ideal daughter-in-law of the wealthy Virani family, and chronicled her journey through family conflicts, traditions, moral dilemmas, and generational changes. With its emotional storytelling and dramatic plot twists, it became a cultural phenomenon, making “saas-bahu” dramas a staple in Indian households.
It ran for eight years, making its cast household names. The reboot stars both Smriti and Amar in the lead, along with Hiten Tejwani, Gauri Pradhan, Rohit Suchanti, Shagun Sharma, Aman Gandhi, Tanisha Mehta, Ankit Bhatia and Prachi Singh in key roles. The show is available to watch on JioCinema and StarPlus.
