An Indian actress and politician by profession, Smriti Zubin Irani is popularly acknowledged for the famous Hindi soap opera, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, in which she plays the principal character of Tulsi Mihir Virani. Not many people know her by her real name, as she has captured the attention of the Indian audiences with her reel identity of Tulsi. Tulsi is the dutiful daughter, ideal bahu, devoted wife, perfect mother and empathetic saas - the complete homemaker who binds the whole family into one single cord of harmony. Smriti Z Irani who has immortalized Tulsi Virani in Ekta Kapoor`s Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi on the small screen symbolizes the modern day Indian woman who has realized her identity in spite of performing so many roles simultaneously. The serial has refurbished its storyline, presented new characters and themes, and even resorted to generation leaps but the character of Tulsi portrayed by Smriti, still retains its novelty as it had six years ago even after many generation leaps.
Smriti who hails from Delhi was a calm, non-adventurous, and unenthusiastic girl who found solace in the company of books. Change became inevitable when she gave up her full-time studies to work in plays and opted for a correspondence course for graduation. At the age of 18 she was determined to go to Mumbai and make her fortune. She tried her luck in various avenues; in 1998 as the Miss India finalist and then a counter job at McDonalds, serving burgers and mopping the floors and cleaning tables.
Fortune favoured when she was asked to do the black and white commercial for Whisper, anchor a show Filmi Batein, present some episodes for Bakeman`s Oh La La, Aatish and Manju Singh`s Jaanam Samjha Karo, Kavita, a show on working women SAB TV`s Kuch Diiil Se a reality show, and eventually the mega super show to-date Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi for Balaji Telefilms. Smriti married her childhood friend Zubin Irani, a divorcee ten years elder to her and has a daughter Chanelle.
Lok Sabha In the year 2003, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party which promptly gave her a ticket to fight the Lok Sabha elections from Delhi`s Chandni Chowk constituency. Although she suffered a defeat in the elections, this five consecutive best actress award winner continued with the BJP while most other actors who had joined the party during that time deserted the party. Her commitment and true potential, was actualized by the party, which made her a member of the National Executive (the highest decision making body of the Party) as also Secretary BJP (Maharashtra) and a member of the Maharashtra Executive. She also runs her "NGO" named `People for Change`, which provides drinking water to the poor, in India`s remote areas.
Today, Smriti Irani has also turned a producer with her entertainment company `Ugraya Entertainment`. Its first production was in collaboration with Balaji Telefilms and the soap is called `Thodi Se Zameen Thoda Sa Aasman` (A little bit of land a little bit of sky) after which her company entered into a strategic alliance with the Aditya Birla Group for producing software for television. It`s first production being Virrudh (Opposite / Against) a daily soap for Sony Entertainment Television (Set India).Her company has also produced two stage presentations Kuch Tum Kaho, Kuch Hum Kahein (Something you say something I will) a social comedy and `Maniben.Com`.
Smriti Irani has come a long way and achieved tremendously at the young age of 30.
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