It was a deliberate choice for Smriti Irani to leave a promising career in the world of glitz and glamour for her vested interest in the public and civic affairs of the state.
Year 2003, all eyes on the screen as Smriti Zubin Irani appeared before the camera. In a twist of events India's favourite 'bahu' lay of the centre stage and took the word of honour as she joined Bhartiya Janata Party the same year.
Losing to Rahul Gandhi in the 2014 general elections, the demurred lady came out triumphant in the 2019 general election defeating Gandhi in his own constituency Amethi.
As a popular Bollywood dialogue goes by "Haar Kar Jitne Walein Ko Baazigar Kahete Hai," it fits just appropriately with the Delhiite.
As she put all her belief and concentration in the service of the nation, the star of the silver screen in no time became a notable personality in the arena of politics.
The lady who needs no introduction had become a household name with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi within a short span of time. A soap with which Smriti Irani was reborn as Tulsi Virani that lasted for a long time.
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The soap earned her colossal laurels. Over nine Indian Television Academy Awards were bestowed on her for her series of ‘best’s in terms of her performance.
The actor in Smriti began to bloom. From commercials to sitcoms to theatre projects and her stint in films, Smriti jumped from one project to other like a butterfly smelling a bunch of dancing daffodils.
Besides television soaps, Irani’s ‘ideal bahu’ character in a Bengali film titled Arpita was equally loved by the audience.
A successful artist in its true sense who captured the small screens for eight years in a row with her titular role of Tulsi in Ekta Kapoor’s “Kyunki…”
From an aspiring Miss India contestant in 1998 to becoming the leader of the masses, later on, Smriti has come a long way.
As she cemented her place in the political front, after bidding adieu to the world of the limelight, she hadn’t had to look back for once.
Switching over to a career in politics without any prior connection to the field was a challenge which she took it and came out with flying colours.
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Former UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi asserted, “Irani is a television artist and not a politician. She can only create some curiosity among the people, but she cannot fight such a serious election.”
Proving her wrong word by word, winning a neck to neck fight Smriti dethroned the Gandhi scion in Amethi and how!
The ‘Kyunki Saas...Thi’ star has become one of the BJP's most visible faces in media interactions, be it holding herself forcefully in noisy TV political debates or being upfront in criticising the opposition, keeping the ‘Bharatiya Nari’ image intact with her bindi, sindoor and sari.
Serving the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting earlier, the responsibility of the Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Women and Child Development has been imparted upon Smriti Irani which she manages to look after with utmost dedication.
