25 Years Of Tulsi: Smriti Irani Reflects On Character’s Impact On Women
MUMBAI-Actress and politician Smriti Irani has reflected on the impact of her television character Tulsi Virani from the show ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, marking 25 years since the character first entered Indian living rooms.
Irani credited producer Ekta Kapoor with putting women at the heart of prime-time television and changing the way stories were told on the small screen.
Irani took to Instagram and re-shared video highlighting research titled “The Power of TV: Cable Television and Women’s Status in India”, conducted by economists at Harvard University. The research examined the relationship between the spread of cable television in rural India and attitudes towards women, including views on women’s autonomy, education and domestic violence.
In the caption, Irani wrote: “Twenty-five years ago, Tulsi Virani walked into India’s living rooms. Neither of us knew how far she would travel. Behind her was another young woman breaking the mould — Ekta Kapoor, a young producer who trusted her instinct, put women at the heart of prime-time television and changed the grammar of Indian entertainment.”
Reflecting on the research, Irani wrote: “Years later, academic research on the spread of cable television in rural India found that exposure to television was associated with changing attitudes towards women — including autonomy, education and domestic violence.”
“It reinforced something I have always believed: Stories don’t just reflect society. Sometimes, they quietly expand what society believes is possible. A character can question a boundary before someone finds the courage to question it in her own life. A young girl watching can discover a possibility she had never imagined for herself.”
She concluded: “Today, many of the young women who watched Tulsi are raising daughters of their own. Perhaps that is the true measure of a story. The episode ends. The years pass. A generation grows up. But somewhere, the story continues.” (IANS)
