YRKKH's Samridhii Shukla REACTS to current 'AI' track not being able to garner TRPS: 'Don't know what..'

In an era where technology is evolving faster than society can keep up, Star Plus’ long-running drama Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai has taken a bold step by spotlighting the dark side of AI misuse. Samridhii Shukla, who currently plays Abhira, sat down with India Forums for an exclusive conversation, opening up about the challenges and intentions behind the show’s ongoing track. Despite the relevance and urgency of the subject, the storyline has struggled to resonate with viewers, and Samridhii offers candid insight into why that may be, and why the issue still demands attention.

The current track of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai highlights a very relevant issue today; the misuse of AI. How did the team manage to blend such a serious concept into a daily soap that usually thrives on drama and emotion?

I think our show really thrives on the current issues going on, and right now if you open your Instagram and social media, there are so many fake AI-generated videos and images that it is mind-boggling. We tried to capture the adversity and the after-effects of such a thing happening to a normal couple in a small city, and we hope to bring light to the issue that AI is not inherently a bad tool, but in the wrong hands, it can become a truly destructive one.

Even with such an important theme, the show’s ratings have dipped this week. Do you feel the audience is finding it hard to connect with the storyline?

I don't know what could really be the reason. Although we have tried to raise the current issues and concerns, maybe not all of our audiences are accustomed to or knowledgeable about the kinds of effects these things can have. And we’re also limited, we can’t explore the whole track to its full potential because of the constraints of the television format. But it’s important to say that so many actresses and other people have had their videos morphed into explicit content, and people often don’t realize how insensitive they’ve become in the name of entertainment. These are real people with real identities and reputations, and it can have a severe impact on them if it affects them personally.

What can viewers look forward to in the upcoming episodes of the show?

In the coming episodes, there is a very visible rift between the Bansals and the Poddars and that is something to look forward to.

As the show moves forward, viewers will see the growing rift between the Bansals and the Poddars take center stage. While the AI-focused storyline may not have landed as expected, Samridhii’s perspective sheds light on the challenges of bringing such themes into a daily soap format. Whether the track picks up momentum or shifts gears, it’s clear that the team is navigating a space where experimentation doesn’t always guarantee instant audience approval, yet still opens the door for important conversations.