E-Paper
TV's most popular "bahu" goes to Chandni Chowk
As the popular television "bahu" walks through old Delhi lanes, women lean from balconies to catch a glimpse of their favourite TV star.
As the most popular "bahu" (daughter-in-law) on Indian television goes on a "padayatra" through the lanes of Chandni Chowk in old Delhi, children shout "Tulsi Aa Gayee" and women lean from the balconies to catch a glimpse of their favourite TV star.
Smriti Z Irani remains Tulsi Virani, the character she plays in the daily soap "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi", for the people of Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, from where the actor-turned-politician has been fielded as the BJP's candidate.
No wonder 28-year-old Smriti's election campaign takes off on her Tulsi image. Pausing at a street corner for a few minutes, Smriti addresses the people, singling out the women, who form the majority of her fan following, greeting them with "Bhabhiji, Namaste," and adding, "Dekhiye, is bahu ne Chandni Chowk ke logon ka dil jeet liya hai (This daughter-in-law has won the hearts of the people of Chandni Chowk)."
She goes on to declare: "Is Tulsi ko aapne apne aangan ki Tulsi bana liya hai (You have accepted this Tulsi as your own)."
Resting a while from the gruelling day-long campaign-on-foot, Smriti said it was normal for people to identify her as Tulsi. But she also said, "While I am Tulsi for the older generation, the young who know I am Tulsi from the serial also know that I am Smriti Z Irani."
Smriti, who was born and brought up in Delhi but who now lives in Mumbai after marriage, said the response from the people has been "overwhelming".
"Everybody here has been so warm to me - from youngsters to women in purdah and to the men - they are all happy to see me here. They are telling me about their problems, their aspirations, opening up to me.
Smriti said, "in the last two days of my campaigning, it has become obvious to me that Chandni Chowk is on my side," her husband Zubin Irani has flown in to join her in the padyatra.
Walking through the narrow lanes of the old Delhi area, the TV star has undoubtedly attracted a lot of crowd, which Delhi BJP President Harsh Vardhan, who is overlooking Smriti's election campaign, said it has much more to it than just her star appeal.
"She is young and dynamic and is connecting well with the people. We are projecting her as a woman who has excelled in acting and will prove to be a capable legislator if given the chance," Vardhan said.
But ask the people who gather on the streets to see Smriti who she is and the prompt reply is that she is Tulsi.
There are also people who think that Smriti is Gujarati, whereas the actor, Smriti Malhotra before marriage, is in fact a Punjabi. Reason being that she plays the daughter-in-law of a Gujarati business family in the Saas-Bahu serial.
And as she proceeds on the padyatra, there are also children who tail her in the hope of getting an autograph, showing that at least this one candidate does not need a star campaigner.
