Smriti Irani says she was replaced on show when she had her baby

Smriti Irani was fired soon after she had her baby and had warned them that the show would not work after she left. In a new interview, Smriti recalls working till the last day of her pregnancy and being fired the next day. After making her mark as Tulsi Virani in Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Smriti took up the role of a host in the talk show Kuch… Diiil Se in 2003. (Also read: Smriti Irani recalls getting Rs1800 as daily wage)

Having married Parsi businessman Zubin Irani in 2001, Smriti gave birth to their first child – son Zohr later that year. They also have a daughter named Zoish who was born in 2003.

She said that she was working as a host on Gautam Adhikari’s Kuch Dil Se for SAB TV when she was pregnant with her son. “Till the last day of my pregnancy, I was shooting for Gautam Adhikari’s show. I used to host the show and we were shooting the bank episodes. I was 24 or 25 when I had my son, I did not have money, was new at work. I shot till the last day because I wanted those leaves for my pregnancy. Till the last day of the ninth month. Next day, I was told ‘you’re fired’ and Mita Vashisht had replaced me. I told them that the show wouldn’t work because I used to write the episodes. It was number one because I wrote the show. I said you can get the new anchor, but what about the script writer?”

She added, “And, the show got wrapped up quickly after I left. Log kehte hain meri kaali zubaan hai lekin mujhe pata tha ki mai kya kar rahi thi us show me (Not that I can predict the future but I knew what I was doing on the show).”

In the interview, Smriti also recalled having a miscarriage and being asked to show up on the sets the next day. It was in 2001 or 2002 that Smriti used to work in two shifts – the morning shifts were for Ravi Chopra’s show Ramayan while afternoon shifts were for the Balaji show Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.

Smriti said that Ravi urged her to get some rest but she was called for the Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi shoot. The actor also said that it was a tough decision for Ravi as Sita was a central character in Ramayan while Tulsi was one of the many daughters-in-law in the Balaji daily soap.