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"I would love to be the Devil's Advocate and sit and corner
Pranab Mukherjee" - Smriti Z Irani
New Delhi, February 24, 2006: Think television soaps in India and
one of the first names that comes to mind is Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi
Bahu Thi. Launched on the same day as Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC)
in 2000, the show outlived KBC and was the center of attention for
millions of viewers.
The epicenter of this familiar, familial melodrama, Smriti Irani
hooked a generation of housewives to television. But there's more
to Smriti Irani than being Tulsi. She balances a political career,
a family and children, produces plays and manages a hectic acting
schedule. From working at McDonald's, to getting rejected because
she didn't look like the typical Indian housewife, everybody's favorite
agony aunt tells us what it's like BEING Smriti Irani Only on CNN
IBN, Saturday 25th February 20:30pm & Sunday 26th February 15:30pm.
Excerpts from the interview:
"I would genuinely trade my job any day to run behind and get
breaking news through. I would love to be a part of your Lakshmi
Narayan Mittal exclusive, I would love to be the Devil's Advocate
and sit and corner Pranab Mukherjee, I almost thought that Karan
had it that day. I would love to do what you did with the Bofor's
case. Just be there, hunt, investigate, it almost sounds like a
fantasy. It's the rush of discovering something that's hidden under
so many layers"
"I was in an environment (in Delhi) where it was easy to accept
rejection. I was constantly told that's its not my cup of tea .I
realized it's the environment that's propelling me towards a different
destiny. That's why I left. I have faced rejection from the day
I stepped into Mumbai, from not winning the Ms India crown, to missing
out so many auditions, to being rejected for an ad for home appliances
because I didn't look like an Indian housewife. So many people told
Ekta Kapoor she's out of her mind if she wanted to caste me .I mean
rejection is not something new. I lost my first election. I would
in fact take it as a sign of a new beginning because I'm in an environment
where everybody that I know is not the type to give up easily.
'I have stepped out of the comfort zone. Its not an easy thing to
do but the biggest burden of Being Tulsi is the constant criticism
that comes along with my job. I have from day one been the poster
child for all the flak for all saas-bahu soaps and its not easy
trying to maintain ones sense of balance or politeness through it
all and let the critics get away'.
"If you look at how soaps began post 'Kyunki saas bhi....',
there were so many that came into being where the marketing strategy
was "It's different from the 'saas- bahu' soaps". There
were so many actors that came to the surface whose entire interview
revolved around that one quote --" I don't do saas- bahu".
But ironically most of them revolved and came about and started
doing saas- bahu on their own because I think somewhere the realization
came that it was not selling on the basis of that "we are different
factor" .At the end of the day we are at of the entertainment
business, channels have got caught in the revenue net. Today for
a channel the viability of a project is much more important than
the message I'm trying to give".
"I think he (Narendra Modi) has changed a lot of peoples opinion
through his administrative work .I have spoken to him. He's extremely
gracious and I'm in touch with him. He was extremely gracious in
letting a lot of things go and extremely gracious as not to comment
on what I said. I think that's one part that everyone has to accept.
He never said a word about me. It says a lot about the man. He's
willing to be prosecuted for any crimes that courts might decide
against him that's says a lot about somebody who is sitting in a
seat of power"
GBN, a TV18 Group Company, is a 74:26 joint venture between the
TV18 Group and professionals - Rajdeep Sardesai, Sameer Manchanda
and Haresh Chawla. GBN's charter is to launch channels in the general
news space under the editorial leadership of Sardesai, one of India's
most reputed TV journalists. The TV18 Group is India's leading and
most successful business news broadcaster, in both English and Hindi.
- END -
For more information contact:
Prachi / Priyadarshani
Hanmer & Partners
New Delhi
011 2921 4793/ 4
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