Is Smriti’s tryst with Balajee over?

Mumbai: Smriti Irani, who plays the character of Tulsi in the popular soap Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, is angry and hurt by rumours that she is quitting, terming it "irresponsible journalism".

Brushing aside speculation, she says she is here to stay.

Smriti, whose character in the serial produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balajee Telefilms has aged from a newly-married woman to that of the grand old matriarch, also denied that she had any problem playing an aged woman.

She also spoke about her new serial Thodasa Aasman, which she has co-produced with Ekta.

Subhash K Jha: Another controversy has broken out…

Smriti Irani: It has. I must be the one actor with the largest number of controversies to my discredit. This is highly irresponsible journalism. Balajee Telefilms (producer of the serial) is a public limited company. Star is such a highly rated channel. Kyunkii is the highest revenue earner for Balajee and Star. Such false information puts everyone in a spot. How can one particular reporter quoting one particular invisible source be the reason for so much stress?

Subhash K Jha: Does it bother you?

Smriti Irani: Honestly, it hurts. For six years I've worked with Balajee and Star to get this show where it's started. My association with Star goes back to long before Kyunkii I'm like a horse with blinkers. So I try not to get bothered with such talk.

Subhash K Jha: But why is there such a controversy about you every few months?

Smriti Irani: It all comes from one source. I don't know why. With my workload and responsibilities, I genuinely feel I don't need to react to such imaginary stories. Who are these 'sources' who claim I'm leaving Kyunkii... How can I react to ghosts?

What's really surprising is that in all these six years doing Kyunkii..., Shobha Kapoorji, Ekta and I meet behind closed doors with no fourth person in the room. So how do people outside assume about what we talk? I guess even big stars aren't immune to speculative writing. So who am I?

Subhash K Jha: So who's responsible for the rumour that you're leavin Kyunkii...?

Smriti Irani: Someone who's extremely keen to see me go.

Subhash K Jha: There's no Kyunkii... without you?

Smriti Irani: Nothing and nobody is indispensable. But someone is trying desperately to break my six-year association with the serial. I don't allow myself to get pained by such ghost stories. My fans and audience do react, though.

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Subhash K Jha: So once and for all, you aren't leaving Kyunkii...?

Smriti Irani: I'm right now in a shoot with Balajee. So how can I leave? This entire controversy is so illogical. My character is supposed to be in Hardwar, so how can I be shown in parts of the narrative that are located in Mumbai? Isn't that self-evident?

I don't even want to give credibility to these rumours by reacting. Anyone who's spreading it genuinely needs a holiday. I don't think my talent can be held hostage by such rumours.

Subhash K Jha: It's said there's a dispute about you looking old in the serial?

Smriti Irani: If there was a dispute would I have agreed? When I had spoken to you last, I had told you that I had no problems ageing according to the way the script goes. I must be the oldest-looking protagonist on any of the soaps.

Subhash K Jha: What about your other show with Balajee which you're co-producing?

Smriti Irani: In that I play a girl called Uma who goes through tremendous hardships in life. I must thank my well-wishers for preparing me for this role. Jokes aside, my family, the channel and production house don't deserve this.

Ekta Kapoor speaks out

Ekta Kapoor’s reaction to the controversy was not much different, "I really don't want to say anything about this. But, yes, Smriti is very much 'Baa'. She's shooting for us right now.”

Asked why the title of the serial did not start with the alphabet K, like all other Balajee soaps, Ekta explained, "This isn't my production alone."

On the reported opposition by Irani to portray an aged woman, Ekta said, "Kyunkii... already features Smriti as the aged Baa. So where's the question of her not wanting to age?"