Ektaa Kapoor claims Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi gave voice to Indian women, internet calls it ‘regressive'

Mint

10-07-2025

Ektaa Kapoor on Thursday announced that the upcoming reboot of her hit show, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, will be back with limited episodes. She revealed that the film will focus on bigger issues instead of TRP and claimed that her show has helped to bring conversations around marital, domestic rapes, age shaming and more in Indian homes. She also said that her show gave voice to women in the country, sparking nostalgia among the fans.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi will mark the acting return of Smriti Irani, who is a member of the Indian Parliament.
Ektaa took to her Instagram account and issued a statement.
It read: 'WHY KYUNKI, WHY NOW?'
She revealed why she decided to bring back her show after 25 years. Ektaa shared that although her initial response was a no, she changed her mind owing to the contributions of the show.
'When the 25th year of 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' was approaching and the idea of relaunching it surfaced, my first reaction was a firm no! Why would I want to shake up nostalgia? You can never compete with nostalgia. It always remains supreme. How I remember my childhood and how it really was, will always be different. Also, the television space has changed. Once dependent on 9 cities, audiences now consume content in fragments, scattered across platforms. Would this shake the legacy of Kyunki, the iconic TRP no one ever achieved before and after,' the statement shared.
"Research carried out by an international body once concluded that the show gave a voice to women in Indian homes. Between 2000 and 2005, for the first time, women began participating in family discussions, a shift deeply influenced by Indian television, especially 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' and 'Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki'.
"I said, "Let's do this! Let's create a show that's not afraid to raise important questions, that sparks conversations, and stands out in the time dominated by visual gimmicks."
She revealed that her show will be back with limited episodes to mark 25 years since its release.
'Kyunki is coming back with limited episodes, to celebrate 25 years with an intent to impact, entertain, probe thoughts and most importantly, to inspire. With a lot of entertainment, excitement and heartfelt emotions. Here's to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi to what it stands for, giving a voice, bringing a much-awaited change, to its history and for what it holds in store for us.
relatable and inclusive. Cheers to Kyunki, cheers to the power of storytelling, cheers to less of what happened before and cheers to what will come! We will never win against nostalgia. The fight though, is not about winning. It is about Impact! To the show that's not just ours, but also yours too (sic)!'
Her official confirmation left fans nostalgic.
One user wrote in the comments, 'There has been no TV family drama like Kyunki. Mihir's death was mourned, Mandira was hated, Grandmothers were taken seriously when Baa enrolled into the fashion design school, Women learnt to speak against domestic abuse after Nandini's abuse and much much more. Audience has enjoyed its reruns on TV, they do remember the significance behind 3rd July and every plot is still afresh in their minds. Bringing back Kyunki and of course the OG leads is the best gift for the loyal fans of the show. Looking forward (sic).'
'Of course, ksbkbt is really more than TRP ratings. It's time to watch history repeating itself,' added another.
One more fan commented, 'We want it with old BGMs.'
Meanwhile, some also criticised Ektaa's show. One of them wrote in the comment section, 'Then regressive. Now regressive. Always regressive (sic).'