Gautani--Ram is thrilled-article

W hile Mihir Virani had three actors playing him (Amar Upadhyay, Inder Kumar and Ronit Roy), his better half has remained constant for nearly a decade. But all that's soon going to change because Smriti Z Iraani is taking a break from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi to make way for Gautami Kapoor. Speculations about who would replace Iraani have been on for a while now, with the contenders being Padmini Kolhapure, Poonam Dhillon and Kapoor. When in a deadlock, the produc- tion house conducted an audience poll and Kapoor won by a few votes. Says Balaji's deputy creative director, Nivedita Basu, "Yes, Gau- tami is the new Tulsi. The audience poll was a necessity We wanted to . know whom they would like to see as Tulsi. But I won't deny that I was a little partial towards Gautami since I've worked with her in Ghar Ek Mandir." So why did Iraani quit the show? "I don't know the exact reason behind Smriti's exit but I guess she wanted a break. Also, actors get tired of playing the same char- acter for years togeth- er," explains Basu. Along with Kapoor, many new char- acters will be also be intro- duced. "The show will have a new look alto- gether," says Basu. Kapoor is more than happy to accept the offer. "I'm on top of the world. I couldn't have asked for more. Balaji had offered me a few shows and Kyun- ki… was one of them. But I didn't know I was being considered for Tulsi's character. It was finalised two days ago," she gushes. About getting more votes than Kolhapure in the viewers' poll, she says, "I've won by a small margin. But that was sheer luck.. it doesn't prove that my acting skills are bet- ter than Padminiji. Both Pad- miniji and Smriti are superior to me in every aspect. As for taking over from Smriti, it's certainly a lot of pressure. I will take each day as it comes." "Ram is thrilled," smiles Kapoor, about her husband Ram Kapoor's reaction. She adds, "He always asked me to wait for some- thing substantial. I guess I was destined to do this." Sudha Shivpuri aka Baa from Kyunkii.. isn't too pleased with the switch. She says, "Smriti was an integral part of the show and we had a special bond. But now she's busy with her own production house. I'm very upset, but noth- ing is lifelong. "I don't know whether viewers will accept the new Tulsi.. it's very uncertain. They might, they might not."