India's favourite bahu Smriti Irani chatted with rediff.com readers on Saturday, August 27.
The actress cum Bharatiya Janata Party member spoke about her experiences on the sets of her very popular soap, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She was also quite articulate about her political dreams.
For those who missed the chat, here is the first part of the transcript:
ashok nagpal : What went wrong when you crticised Modi Gujrat Govt and how did tkae U-tun? KSBKBT : Hi Smriti dont u think, it's high time the serial KSKKBT is stopped and something better is started instead lipu : how much you love india??? Anuj : Hi Smriti u also also beaing in politics . Do u feel politics is pure business now . There is hardly such emotions like national feeling raj : plz share ur some funniest incident on the sets of kyunki--- pratap : hi, tulsi what is the role of B.J.P. for reservation of lady MP. imrankazi : Hello Smriti I like u r work in KSBKBT I think u must worj in flims & do good role & plz dont go politics its very corrupted field Hi : Are you a POlitician or a tele actress? What do you want to be known as? Vicky : What do you think about Sonia Gandhi personally, not as a politician? AGoodBahu : Do you believe that the KSBKBT model of joint families are workable? In your experience, is it possilbe to have a mother - in - law who is pleased with you, and loves you unconditionally. I have an extremely disgruntled mother - in - law (as you may have guessed :-) akiips : Hello Smriti Jee, This is ashish Mishra from II T Kanpur. Do you think that providing reservations to women's in Parliament will be able to uplift women's situation in the society? Kiran : I think the the soap KSBKBT becoming too boring.Do not u think ? rahul6474 : hi,tulsi; though u r the inspiration for the youngones u plz become a little bit thin as u were earlier when ksbkbt started.v all wanted u 2 bcome a real indian idol bye ricky : hi smriti,u r one of the boldest ladies we have today.what do u think of the country's future sainathshenoy : What's an average day in Smriti's life now? Don't miss the last part of the chat transcript tommorow, August 30.
Smriti Irani : I have always maintained, Mr Nagpal, that I will publicly not discuss this issue since I am unable to do so honestly. I hope you appreciate the fact that I am not a politician who would like to give you half-truths. Hence I chose silence.
Smriti Irani : I personally think that the fact that it is still the number one show on Indian television just goes to prove that it still has a lot of people watching who appreciate the acting and the story. So for their sakes, I continue to do my job. The day it ends, kindly ensure that you find me a new one!
Smriti Irani : I love it enough to vote; love it enough to pay my taxes; I love it enough to put it before family and self.
Smriti Irani : No business is pure my friend. But politics for me is not business. It's a thought, a contribution, a state of mind. I was born in a free country, which seeked to encourage freedom and justice for all. I want to be a part of that process, just like any other Indian. I can't speak for the rest, but I think the little India all of us carry in our hearts should be good enough for us individually to take a step to help ensure that same freedom and justice that our constitution guarantees is given to all.
Smriti Irani : Raj, I'm badgered world-over as the biggest cry-baby on screen! Do you genuinely think something funny can happen with me? But yeah, one day when Ba was crying out in the middle of a scene - 'Ganga, Damini, Koi Hai?' her man friday, ironically named Ganga charged through the sets as though her knight in shining armour on a black steed, screaming 'rukiye Ba, main aa raha hoon'. I think that day I rolled in laughter for a good 20 minutes!
Smriti Irani : BJP totally stands by reservations for women in parliament. The only thing it objects to is reservations on the basis of religion. In our country, everyone should be equal under the law. One should not encourage division on the basis of religion, region, caste or creed. If one wants India to truly rise as one of the greatest nations of the world.
Smriti Irani : Thank you for your compliments for my acting. But I think politics today needs people from various backgrounds who are educated and conscious enough to bring about change. Everyone tells me politics is a dirty game, but who better than a housewife to clean up all the mess?
Avinash : How long will u r serial KSBKBT run? Will it run till really reach the age of Tulsi in real life too?
Smriti Irani : Avinash, for my serial to reach the real age of Tulsi, in real life, it has to run backwards! For Tulsi on screen is 50, and Smriti Irani is only 29!
Smriti Irani : Plain and simple Smriti Irani. mother of two, married to Zubin Irani.
Smriti Irani : I think it must be extremely difficult as a woman to raise two children in the absence of your husband. It must be extremely difficult to stand your ground in Indian politics, which, as of now, is male dominated. For me, Mrs Gandhi is someone I don't know personally, so won't be in a position to comment on her on a personal level, but I hope, as a BJP member, I make for an effective yet clean opposition.
Smriti Irani : Home is where the heart is, and so is family. I think in today's day and age, it doesn't matter whether your family is joint or nuclear. What matters is how important are relationships for you, and to what length would you go to maintain them. I think the idea is to give respect to your elders and those who are younger than you, but to stand your ground firmly when it comes to issues close to your heart. Jhukne se insaan chhota nahin hota, lekin logon ko bhi saavdhani barakhni chaahiye that humility and respect need not necessarily mean weakness. So love your mother-in-law, but never compromise on self-respect!
Smriti Irani : Hi Ashish. Constitution guarantees freedom for employment and representation to all. Unfortunately if you look at a composition of the present Parliament, you will not see women represented in equal numbers. It's a sorry state of affairs when one has to demand reservation to ensure that women are equally represented. But truly, women can be uplifted in our society if we guarantee education, employement and speedy justice. And for that, not only women, but also men have to contribute.
Smriti Irani : Hi Kiran. I work all day, then I'm back home and only with my family. Without any TV in between. I don't know whether to find Kyunki boring, because I honestly don't watch it at night! We've always endeavoured to ensure that our work is of the highest quality, and that's how we've managed to be the number 1 show for the last 5 years. I will, however, pass on your said comment to the authorities that create Kyunki.
Smriti Irani : Hi Rahul. What's your waist-size? As a teenager, I was taught to judge people on the basis of their work, their talent and their character. Never in my life did I imagine that my own weight would become a national issue! I'm a mother of two, who went back to work just 3 days after delivering both my children. I didn't take the luxury of resting one and a half - two months as normally women do. That tells today on my health. I withstand a lot of criticism and jokes about my weight, but the truth of the matter is that I would like to lose the weight for myself and not for anyone else. I'm happy that you think I'm an idol for many, but I'd rather be an idol because of my personality and my talent, not because I have an 18-inch waist. For such idols stand on pedestals with feet of clay.
Smriti Irani : The country's future is what you will make it. Make your local representatives in parliament and assembly more answerable. Ask for more transparency in use of public funds. Ask for reps in water, fire, police, and electric departments to be assessed every year on the basis of their service. And submit a plea to the courts to have them relieved of their service, if they have been corrupt, inefficient, or ineffective. At the same time, try and not break the rules yourself. With this little contribution from your own end, at least you can ensure that India will have a bright future.
Smriti Irani : extremely chaotic! begins at 6 in the morning, with two babies to send to school, breakfast to cook, goodbye kisses by 7:30. Off to work, back to check up on lunch, whether kids have eaten. In between breaks, try to get bhaji for the day. Checking whether husband has eaten his lunch. Back by 7 at home, to put the kids to bed. Do office-work after they are asleep. Then do ghar ka hisaab and shut the kitchen. Try and read something before I go to sleep. Sleep by 12:30-1 am.
