From Debates in Parliament to Dialogues in Daily Soaps: Smriti Irani’s Return to ‘Kyunki’ as Politics Hits Pause

In what can only be described as the most dramatic twist in Indian television and political history, Smriti Irani—once a firebrand minister in BJP government and the woman who unseated a Gandhi from Amethi—has found her way back to where it all began: the living room of Tulsi Virani. Yes, “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” is making a comeback, and leading the charge is none other than its original sanskaari protagonist turned political protagonist turned…well, former minister.

Call it poetic justice or simply the cyclical nature of Indian drama—on-screen and off. Once hailed as BJP’s star campaigner and touted as the giant-slayer of 2019, Irani was the face of New India’s aggressive, unapologetic politics. Portfolios like HRD, I&B, and Women & Child Development had found a combative voice in her. But somewhere between sanskars and sarcasm, reality bit back.

After five years of chest-thumping and relentless one-upmanship, Irani’s arrogance—often masked as confidence—became her Achilles’ heel. The large section of voters of Amethi, it seems, didn’t appreciate and decided to go against her. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the lady who had declared “Amethi is my home” was shown the door by the electorate apparently tired of camera-friendly visits and headline-driven politics.

And with her fall at the ballot box came the inevitable backstage whispers. BJP's top brass, once eager to showcase Irani at every opportunity—from debates to development summits and conferences—seemed to lose her number overnight. Post-2024, Irani found herself on the sidelines, her name missing even from party’s important activities. The corridors of power in Delhi, once echoing with her confident strides, grew eerily silent on her mention.

But drama, as they say, never ends—it just finds a new stage.

And what better stage than the eternal kitchen-politics battleground of Indian TV? In a twist worthy of Ekta Kapoor’s pen, Smriti Irani is returning to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, resurrecting Tulsi not just as a character, but perhaps as a metaphor for a woman trying to reclaim relevance in a world that’s moved on.

The contrast could not be starker. From presiding over ministries and giving fiery speeches in Parliament to now rehearsing dialogues in the makeup chair—it’s a return not just to television, but to a time when people clapped for her, not at her. Back then, she played a docile daughter-in-law who held families together. In politics, she seemed more keen on tearing opponents—and often her own allies—apart.

Insiders from the party claim that her overconfidence, often bordering on defiance, didn’t sit well with the senior leadership. Many viewed her as a headline hunter rather than a team player. Once dubbed the “giant slayer,” she was eventually sidelined without ceremony. The woman who took on Rahul Gandhi with a vengeance was ultimately outplayed by quieter, more calculative minds in her own party.

So here we are. Smriti Irani is back. She is back under the studio lights, back in Tulsi’s sarees, back to the world of kitchen politics—where, let’s face it, the script is more forgiving and the TRP more predictable.

Politics may have given up on her for now, but television—never one to turn away from a familiar face or a fallen star—has offered her a second chance. Whether the audience welcomes her back as Tulsi with nostalgia or irony remains to be seen.

Because kyunki... when politics fails, prime-time prevails.