Smriti Irani Reveals Her Initial Salary of Rs 1800; Recalls How Her Makeup Artist Felt Humiliated

With Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Smriti Irani rose to fame. Recently, she opened up about her life, its highs and lows, and her work as Tulsi Virani on television. She talked about how Sushant Singh Rajput's death shocked her and her rise in the business from earning Rs 1800 to playing Tulsi.

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My daily salary was Rs. 1800, and my cosmetics artist felt ashamed.

Shobha Kapoor made it a rule that no one would consume on the Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi set because doing so would ruin the furniture. With that kind of living, you don't even look like a star; rather, you appear more like a technician. I used to receive Rs 1800 daily. Zubin and I hardly had Rs 30,000 when we got married. When my makeup artist was humiliated, he once said, "gaadi toh lelo mujhe sharam aati hai mai gaadi pe aata hu aur Tulsi bhabhi auto mein aa rahi hai."

I had persuaded Shobha Kapoor to allow tea for everyone on the scene.

I used to find it annoying why all the technicians and crew members could bring food onto the stage, but only the actors could. I once observed the sound guy working for 12 to 15 hours without having a break. I asked him, and when he accepted my offer of tea, he replied, "No, I can't because you are an actor." Then, after arranging up a meeting with the spot guy, I would ask for 60 teas to be kept on hand and accompany the technicians outside so that they could all enjoy their tea. Since I once travelled in a similar manner as the technicians, I am familiar with their experiences.

One day, Shobha Kapoor saw me sipping tea outside. She convinced me to go downstairs and continue drinking tea, but I persuaded her to allow everyone—including the technicians—to do the same.

People's reactions to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi were intense.

When I first became Tulsi, a lot of strange individuals used to visit me at home. I was residing in a compact home in Seven Bungalows, Andheri. The bell rang one day, and an elderly relative knocked on my door. He responded, "I have just come to see you. How can I help? " when I enquired. Your interactions with Baa have validated my actions in my home. I used to be regarded like a nobody in the corner of my own home. This helped me to understand the effect of the show.

I lost my job on the show because I was expecting a child.

I continued to film for Gautam Adhikari's programme up until the very last day of my pregnancy. We were shooting the bank when I hosted the programme. I fought until the very end because I needed that vacation for my baby. When I returned after a month, they told me, "You're fired," and the following day, it was reported that Mita Vashisht had taken my position in the news. I informed them that because I used to write the episodes, the programme wouldn't succeed. After I left, the show swiftly came to an end.