Ekta Kapoor's cult show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, now Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi reboot, will have a premiere tonight on Star Plus as well as on a streaming giant. Smriti Irani AKA Tulsi Virani is set to make a grand comeback on television. Ahead of the premiere, producer Ekta Kapoor weighed in on the debate around Anupamaa vs Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, gaining traction on the Internet.
What's Happening
- Speaking to Brut, Ekta Kapoor said, "Yesterday I was seeing some videos of Anupamaa having a problem as Kyunki is coming. I felt that was in such bad taste."
- She added, "She [Rupali] is such a big star. Anupamaa the show, the creator Rajan... has done what nobody else could do in the last seven years. They will continue to be number 1. They should continue to be number 1."
- "We are coming in for our purpose. To tell our story. These unfair comparisons between lead characters and lead shows is so unnecessary and pitting women against each other, pitting content against each other is so uncalled for," Ekta concluded.
- For the unversed, Anupamaa is a show headlined by Rupali Ganguly. Banking on the immense popularity of the show, Rupali cemented her position as one of the highest-paid actresses of the Indian television.
- The show has been produced by Rajan Shahi.
About The OG Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
Originally aired from July 2000 to November 2008 on Star Plus, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi revolved around the ideal daughter-in-law, Tulsi Virani (played by Smriti Irani), the daughter of a pandit who marries Mihir, the grandson of business tycoon Govardhan Virani.
Apart from Smriti and Amar Upadhyay, the show also featured Inder Kumar, Ronit Roy, Mandira Bedi and Achint Kaur.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Smriti Irani opened up how Ekta Kapoor's reboot version would appeal to the newer generation.
She said, "The show spoke about marital rape and euthanasia 25 years ago, and those were not issues that were touched by even mainstream cinema. We did it commercially in a television slot which was meant for family viewing and family drama. You need to understand that 25 years ago, there was no pay parity, where your talent decided and not your gender about how much you will be paid. The fact that Ekta was given a 10:30 slot, which was a dead slot, we created prime time. But that was a female producer, so you had a female producer shunted to a 10:30 slot, they thought maybe you know, let's take a chance."