Smriti Irani says she's not embarrassed to ask for work as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi comes to an end, reveals she's ‘not closing door to acting'

Smriti Irani says she is proud she sought acting opportunities after the 2024 election defeat, rather than waiting for a call.

Ektaa Kapoor's show, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, began in July 2025 and is set to conclude on Dussehra, October 20. In an interview with Times of India, Smriti Irani revealed that she is not embarrassed about asking for work and recalled how, in 2024, instead of waiting for a call, she picked up the phone and asked for work.

Smriti Irani returned as Tulsi Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi Season 2.

Smriti Irani says she's not embarrassed asking for work

Smriti talked about the defining moments of her return to showbiz that came after her defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. She decided to pick up the phone and ask for work. Smriti said, "I am actually very proud that I picked up that phone. Why should asking for work embarrass me? I began my professional life asking for opportunities. Why should success make me so entitled that asking for an opportunity again becomes beneath me? I have held significant responsibilities in public life, and I have also known what it is to pick up a telephone and say, ‘Is there work for me?’ I am equally comfortable owning both experiences."

She added, "Position can give you authority. It should never give you entitlement. There is enormous dignity in work and enormous strength in being willing to begin again. After 2024, I could have waited for somebody to call me. I didn’t. I made the call myself. Perhaps what I reclaimed in that moment wasn’t merely acting. I reclaimed the young woman in me who never believed that starting again was something to be ashamed of. Sometimes the ability to begin again is a greater measure of confidence than the ability to remain at the top."

Smriti is clear that she is not shutting the doors to acting this time. She said her political responsibilities were a commitment she had made to public life, while acting was a craft she had stopped practising but never stopped loving. She added that she would not call it a comeback, but a rediscovery, and said she no longer felt the need to shut one door to prove her commitment to the path she was already on.

About Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 is the sequel to Ekta Kapoor's iconic television drama Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which originally aired from 2000 to 2008. Produced by Ekta Kapoor under Balaji Telefilms, the show premiered on Star Plus and JioHotstar on July 29, 2025, marking the return of the popular family drama after nearly 17 years. The series sees Smriti Irani reprise her iconic role as Tulsi Virani, alongside Amar Upadhyay as Mihir Virani. Hiten Tejwani and Gauri Pradhan also return as Karan and Nandini, while Shakti Anand reprises his role as Hemant Virani.

The show explores Tulsi and Mihir's relationship, the challenges faced by the next generation of the Virani family and the power struggles that threaten to disrupt their lives. Its return generated massive interest among viewers, with the show's launch week recording over 1.6 billion minutes of watch time across television and streaming, according to JioHotstar.