OG lead cast members Smriti Irani and Amar Upadhyay are reprising their roles of Tulsi Virani and Mihir, and are all set to return in Ekta Kapoor's iconic television reboot series Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.
The creative director of the show, Nivedita Basu, spoke about the craze back then and how Mihir's death unleashed an unexpected response from the audience.
What's Happening
- Nivedita Basu, Creative Director of the show, shared some memorable anecdotes from the 2000 daily soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi recently, as the reboot is all set to air on July 29, 2025.
- Speaking particularly about Mihir's death scene in the show, she told India Today, "Television was the only medium then. There was no OTT; there were not many films; the whole world used to collectively watch TV. We also didn't have social media, yet its popularity was unmatched. I remember Ekta and me would walk to Siddhivinayak, and people would come and fall onto Ekta's feet, even elders, making her embarrassed. When we were climbing up to our homes, we could hear the title song being played, and you would know that the whole world was watching. So that time and era were very different. I mean, the whole litmus test was out there in the open."
- Furthermore, she added, "I remember when Mihir died, Ekta had a brilliant strategy. Towards the end of the episode, she put Amar Upadhyay's birthdate and the date he died on the show. People were crying, howling, and thinking about what happened to Amar. I still keep mentioning it in every interview of mine. We had to call him back to the office to tell people that he was alive. Only the character is dead,"
- "I remember TRP was 27 when Mihir came back. That's a lot on television; I think all the channels' cumulative would not get that. Of course, other shows are doing well, but I feel proud that we created history," concluded Nivedita Basu.
- Furthermore, she added how the show had 32 actors and what a challenge it was to get them together, as most of the time they are committed to other projects.
Smriti Irani On Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi Delay
Smriti Irani, who played the central role in the original, spoke about the project during a conversation with Barkha Dutt and Karan Johar on an episode of We The Women.
"If you look at the Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi journey in totality, the most well-kept secret about it was that I had a contract to do it again in 2014, and I walked away from it because I had to serve in the Indian Parliament as a cabinet minister. The set was ready, but there was a phone call from the Prime Minister's office that you have to take an oath," she said.
She also spoke about an opportunity she had turned down at the time. "I remember Rishi Kapoor telling me to leave now because to serve your country is a greater service than just doing a movie or doing television," Irani added.
In A Nutshell
The creative director of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi spoke about how Mihir's death in the show had created a frenzy among fans. She spoke about the chaos that unravelled and Ekta Kapoor's hilarious addition to the scene.