| From Tulsi to Smriti |
Days after she parted ways from a show that gave her cult status, Smriti Irani is now back on her toes, performing multiple roles of a mother, wife, actor, producer and politician. She tells Gauri Kohli about life after Kyunkii |
From playing a perfect mother, to a devoted wife to a good homemaker, Smriti Irani is donning the same garb, but this time in real life. Precisely a week after her last episode in Kyunkii, the queen of schmaltz sounds more focused, fresh and promising than ever before.
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Tulsi is history now, Uma is her present and Vasudha, her future. For someone, whose deeds were as sanctimonious as her name on the show, it was a dichotomy that defined a blaring battle between small screen's biggest producer and biggest actor. How does she define her relationship with Ekta Kapoor now? "Just as it was seven years ago," she says.
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As for the reasons of her exit, one wonders if she's tired of slithering across our screens with her angelic, self-sacrificing and righteous image? The answer is yes. Her fans (including Ekta Kapoor) may miss her as Tulsi but they admire her pragmatism in deciding to step out and produce her own show. So what if it required the assistance of Kapoor, Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasman did click with the audience. She surged ahead to step out of the glycerine, heavy jewellery and expensive saris into what is termed as the real world on small screen.
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And since then, there's been no looking back. In what Irani terms as "one of the most decisive years of my career," she says: "Having worked with Kyunkii for years, my inclination towards other aspects of production gained momentum. In a gradual progression, I have managed to bring about an acceptance for my creative inputs." The explanation does hold ground.
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Her new show Viruddh on Sony is testimony to this fact. She has no qualms taking credit for it. "Viruddh has a different production value altogether. It is a step ahead of what we see on television today. The techniques used and the way the story is treated makes it a cut above the rest," she affirms. Even for Thodi Si Zameen, "right from the basic thought, to the content and framework, everything is different," she says.
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Batting for a realistic approach in all her endeavours, she now wants to maintain the niche she has carved for herself. "I'm trying to set up an environment of change. One should be open to experimentation. Even if it does not add value, it will certainly help you learn and grow," she adds. This is one reason that prompted her to start her production company, Ugraya Entertainment.
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Her new avtar as Vasudha in Viruddh is an example. "She's a fine example of what most Indian women are today - modern, with their roots intact," she says. Viruddh is a story of a daughter who adores her father, unaware of his past. How she reacts and handles the situation once it is revealed that her father raped her mother is what adds the thrills to the story.
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Having endorsed that she is the Tulsi of every aangan, she managed to launch her political career straight from the soap dish. And if you thought that has taken a backseat after her acting and production work reached the pinnacle, think again. She was recently appointed BJP secretary in Maharashtra and is now serving her fourth consecutive term. "Nothing takes a backseat for me, be it my profession or my responsibility as a political person. I have attained a position where I wish to do better within the party's framework and feel you can only change the system by being a part of it," she says diplomatically.
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Her aim is to work with the grassroots and help in providing healthcare and education. She is now actively involved with her NGO Smriti Irani Foundation that takes care of the water supply to 21 villages in Maharashtra, the funds for which are not donations or in kind, but her own pay cheques!
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It seems everything is undergoing a transition for her today, including television. "TV is evolving and one can now see the growth of niche channels too. There is a fine balance between soap and reality shows," she says. Before you start thinking about the future, remember, Smriti is not willing to "speculate."
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