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Smriti Irani on returning with 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi': 'I'm a full-time politician, part-time actor and...'

Smriti Irani on returning with 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi': 'I'm a full-time politician, part-time actor and...'

First Post3 days ago
The hit show, which ran from 2000 to 2008 on Star Plus and portrayed the goings-on in a business family, returns in a new avatar on the platform read more
Politician and actor Smriti Irani on Monday said reprising her role as Tulsi Virani, the ideal daughter-in-law from 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi', is not just about stepping back into a role but about returning to a story that redefined Indian television and shaped her life.
The hit show, which ran from 2000 to 2008 on Star Plus and portrayed the goings-on in a business family, returns in a new avatar on the platform. The buzz intensified on Monday when an image of Irani, dressed in a maroon saree, started circulating on various social media platforms with many describing it as a her first look from the show.
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Talking about her return, Irani told NDTV, 'I'm a politician, nothing that you throw at me will make me nervous ever.'
'Just like many politicians are part-time lawyers, part-time teachers, part-time journalists. I just happen to be a part-time actor. I've done it simultaneously, which is what I think is difficult to grasp.
'Like I said, the only difference between me and my other political workers is they are part-time lawyers, and there's no videographer along with them. There's no makeup person along with them, there's a script writer. It's just that we're all from different locations. I'm just the one in the spotlight,' she added.
On the iconic show
'In contributing to this next chapter, I hope to honour the legacy of Kyunki-and help shape a future where India's creative industries aren't just celebrated, but truly empowered,' Irani said in a statement titled 'Some journeys come full circle—not for nostalgia, but for purpose'.
'Today, I stand at a crossroads where experience meets emotion, and creativity meets conviction. I return not just as an actor, but as someone who believes in the power of storytelling to spark change, preserve culture, and build empathy.'
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From Bengaluru traffic to Modi govt's diplomacy, Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia is ruffling feathers
From Bengaluru traffic to Modi govt's diplomacy, Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia is ruffling feathers

The Print

time23 minutes ago

  • The Print

From Bengaluru traffic to Modi govt's diplomacy, Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia is ruffling feathers

Bhatia's latest was a dig at the Prime Minister's tours and civilian honours conferred on him by various heads of states over the past decade. What began as a series of acid-laced questions about India's GDP growth on record, soon escalated into an all-out punditry marathon: rants against Operation Sindoor, bemoaning lack of access to quality education, and even attacking the Narendra Modi-led central government's policy priorities. New Delhi: Indian-American entrepreneur Sabeer Bhatia, better known as the founder of Hotmail, isn't someone afraid to speak their mind. Having stayed out of the public eye these past few years, except for the occasional press interview and paid speaking tour, Bhatia made a comeback with hot takes on everything from policy to economy, and how. His opening salvo was a direct X post questioning the significance of India becoming the world's fourth-largest economy when millions of citizens can barely afford to put food on the table. The post went viral, with thousands reposting the phrase, 'Can you feel it in your pocket?' Within days, Bhatia was also writing posts about a bottom-up initiative in BJP-governed states to encourage entrepreneurship among rural women, wondering if it was more performative politics than empowerment. Some social media users hailed him as the new 'people's megaphone' while others, particularly government-aligned pundits, brushed him aside as a 'self-appointed saviour'. But the momentum gained steam: By mid-May, Bhatia's follower count on X had risen from under 50,000 to more than 200,000. Returning to India in the early 2000s after selling Hotmail, he was eager to spearhead a technology revolution. He invested in Simpa Networks—a solar-energy company set to provide pay-as-you-go power to rural villages. Bhatia's next venture—a 200-acre 'Nano City' in Haryana's Panchkula—aimed to replicate Silicon Valley's knowledge hub. But critics flagged it for opaque land deals and unrealistic timelines. In 2019, the state government formally scrapped the project, citing unmet conditions. He launched two additional ventures: a mobile-first e-learning platform, EduSpark, and a blockchain-based supply chain company, Transcircle. ThePrint looks at some of his hot takes that have ruffled feathers on X. Also read: Viksit Bharat goal needs more than GDP growth. Shift policy from entitlement to empowerment Sabeer Bhatia's hot takes The first had to be Bhatia's breakthrough tweet questioning India's GDP data. Posted on 28 May, it followed chatter over how India is on track to surpass Japan to become the fourth largest economy in nominal terms. Bhatia shared a video showing quality of life in India, captioned: 'Growth without distribution is just inflation in disguise.' We overtook Japan in GDP……but can you feel it in your pocket? Growth without distribution is just inflation in disguise. — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) May 28, 2025 Just 2 days ago, on 9 July, Bhatia cited Pakistan assuming rotational presidency of the UNSC for the month of July to ask whether PM Modi's multi-nation tour had yielded any tangible outcome for India. 90 trips to 77 countries. Countless handshakes, speeches, and photo ops. End result: Pakistan assumes Presidency of the UN Security Council. Wow. — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) July 9, 2025 In a 29 June tweet, Bhatia launched a scathing attack on the central government's Viksit Bharat agenda, questioning how it planned to accomplish this target when hunger and poverty run deep in India. 34% kids under 5 malnourished. 20% never vaccinated. 8M children in bonded labour. 150M kids out of school. 25% teacher absenteeism… And we're dreaming of becoming 'developed' by 2047?Please explain how? — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) June 29, 2025 Soon after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad last month claimed more than 200 lives, Bhatia wrote: '63 percent said I should fly Air India in the next 2 weeks. But when asked if they would fly it, only 51 percent said yes.' 63% said I should fly Air India in the next 2 weeks. But when asked if they would fly it, only 51% said yes. Interesting, right? The advice you give others is different from what you'd follow yourself. Why is that? — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) June 21, 2025 He also questioned the legal definition of poverty in India, asking whether those who earn $5 each day instead of the earlier benchmark of $3 can now be considered 'not poor'. Some say 250M people in India aren't 'poor' anymore because they now make $5/day instead of $3. Really? Can you send your kids to school, buy books, shoes, food, pay rent and utilities on that? Which world are these people living in? — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) June 20, 2025 Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remark last month that Indians who speak English 'will soon feel ashamed', Bhatia said it illustrated how politicians wanted to take India back to the pre-British era. Amazing plan a leader has for our nation: stop speaking English or feel ashamed. Do we want to move forward or go back in time? Should our kids dream of space, robots, and large language models—or imagine life before the British came? I'm at a loss for words… — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) June 19, 2025 In another post on X in the aftermath of the AI-171 crash, Bhatia asked: 'Do you really think the 4th largest economy in the world should still be having plane crashes due to systemic failures?' Some news reports suggest that my asking a few logical questions about the plane crash is a political act. Since when did asking questions become political? What kind of democracy equates inquiry with partisanship? I'm struggling to understand this logic. — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) June 15, 2025 Do you really think the 4th largest economy in the world should still be having plane crashes due to systemic failures? Time to question what truly makes a nation great. — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) June 12, 2025 In one of his tweets in early June, Bhatia had said that Delhi tops the list of five most polluted cities in the world. He urged Indians to stop celebrating GDP growth and focus on the AQI index. Delhi tops the list of the 5 most polluted major cities in the world — followed by Dhaka, Ouagadougou, Karachi, and Lahore. Fellow Indians, it's time to stop celebrating GDP and start focusing on AQI, education, and human wellbeing. Economic growth means nothing if we can't… — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) June 3, 2025 Criticising the government's efforts to locate the terrorists who executed the Pahalgam attack, Bhatia shared a candid image of a man trying to kill a fly with a bazooka. Would you use a bazooka to kill a fly? Then why all this madness? Where are the 4 men who actually did it? — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) June 1, 2025 In another rather cryptic post on 31 May, Bhatia remarked in an apparent dig at the Indian government, 'The country that taught tolerance to the world over 1000s of years is ruining its global brand by promoting untruths and misinformation.' The country that taught tolerance to the world over 1000s of years is ruining its global brand by promoting untruths and misinformation. Can the outcome of all this be good? — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) May 31, 2025 In another post on X in June, the Hotmail founder wrote that Indians must think long and hard before celebrating predictions of the country being on track to become the fourth largest economy. Instead of hanging your head in shame that 415 million people in India survive on $3.10/day, you brag about being the world's 4th largest economy. Shame on you. — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) June 10, 2025 More recently, Bhatia trained his guns at traffic management in Bengaluru. I know Bengaluru folks may call this negative… but the traffic here is INSANE. I ride the same distance on my bicycle in 1/3 the time in the Bay Area. How do people tolerate this every day? — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) July 1, 2025 In another post on X, Bhatia gave his two cents on UP Energy Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma chanting 'Jai Shri Ram, Jai Shri Bajrang Bali' when constituents surrounded him to complain about power cuts in the state. Just when you think ministerial knowledge and concern for citizens can't get more bizarre, a power minister of a major state responds to complaints about power cuts by chanting Jai Shri Ram and Jai Shri Bajrang Bali. Electricity not included. Wow. — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) July 10, 2025 Taking a jibe at BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's remarks in Mandi during her visit to her flash floods-stricken parliamentary constituency, Bhatia said she has no intention to help the people and lacks leadership skills. A leader recently told her people she can't help them—no staff, no funds, no power to act. Add to that: no intention of helping them either. Why hold office then? Leadership isn't about what you lack, it's about what you do with what you have. — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) July 8, 2025 Bhatia also had some advice for the political class: as long as they 'want to 'rule' and people think they need to be 'ruled'—not 'served'—nothing will truly change'. Indian politics hasn't changed much since 1947. As long as parties want to 'rule' and people think they need to be 'ruled'—not 'served'—nothing will truly change. — Sabeer Bhatia (@sabeer) June 30, 2025 (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: #ByeByeAP to #LuluBackInAP: Naidu's moves to make Andhra 'business friendly' & woo back investors

Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa invites Indians to experience New Zealand beyond the filter
Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa invites Indians to experience New Zealand beyond the filter

Time of India

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  • Time of India

Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa invites Indians to experience New Zealand beyond the filter

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Iran warns of fake X profiles trying to damage relations with India; shares list of imposter accounts
Iran warns of fake X profiles trying to damage relations with India; shares list of imposter accounts

Time of India

time24 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Iran warns of fake X profiles trying to damage relations with India; shares list of imposter accounts

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