- Apara Mehta gained fame as Savita Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
- She faced dangerous fan incidents including cigarette burns and ring snatching
- Mehta was mobbed by fans during a packed Gujarati play in Kolkata
Apara Mehta, one of Indian television's most celebrated actors, became a household name with her role in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. While the show brought her immense popularity, the fame came with unexpected challenges.
Mehta recalled shocking incidents in which overenthusiastic fans allegedly burned her with cigarettes and even tried to snatch a ring from her hand. In an interview with Hauterrfly, the actress said, "Kyunki was at the peak aur mera Gujarati drama Kolkata mein hota tha, 5 show hote the Kala Mandir mein. Seat to seat packed hote the. Jaise hi main enter hui, 8000 dandiya uchle. [When Kyunki was at its peak and my Gujarati play used to be staged in Kolkata, we performed five shows at Kala Mandir. Every seat was packed. The moment I entered, 8,000 dandiyas were thrown into the air as soon as people saw me. And the way I was mobbed.]"
She added, "Mujhe kheench ke podium pe le gaye. People were pulling and pushing me. I started shaking hands with them, toh koi meri diamond ki angoothi kheench raha hai, kisi ne mujhe cigarette laga dii. [They literally dragged me onto the podium. People were pulling and pushing me from all sides. When I started shaking hands with them, someone tried to pull off my diamond ring and someone even accidentally burned me with a cigarette.].
"The whole podium started shaking. People went crazy. It became very dangerous. Then they asked me to get down from the podium; they formed a circle around me and, at that time, everybody touched me everywhere. I said, 'Okay, touch me, what will you get?'" she explained.
Apara Mehta played Savita Virani, Mihir's mom and Tulsi's mother-in-law, in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The show was a massive hit and ran for eight years before going off air. It has now made a comeback with a reboot featuring Smriti Irani and Amar Upadhyay in lead roles. New episodes air Monday through Sunday at 10:30 PM on Star Plus and Jio Hotstar.