Former actress, television producer, and the Minister of Women and Child Development of India, Smriti Irani has led a life full of struggle. She never shies away from opening up about it and sharing insights from her personal experiences. For the unversed, she became a household name in the 2000s, when she shot to fame with Ekta Kapoor’s hit television serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. During a recent media interaction, she revealed that she rejected the offer to audition for Farhan Akhtar’s Dil Chahta Hai when she was at the peak of her career.
In an interview with Brut, the actress-turned-politician opened up about how she decided to leave her career as an actress during the peak. Having had the desire to be recognised as a respectable actress, she declined the opportunity to audition for Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, and Aamir Khan starrer Dil Chahta Hai. As she didn’t want to become an embarrassment to her family and she had familial responsibility, she declined the role much to everyone else’s surprise. ALSO READ: Smriti Irani Recalls Her FIRST Job, Reveals She Sold Cosmetics On Delhi Streets At The Age Of 7; Former Actress Says, ‘Din Ke Dihari The 200 Rupay’
Quoted by Zoom, she said, “I had familial responsibilities. I didn’t want it to become an embarrassment for my family members so I wanted to lead my life as an actor with dignity. I made choices where even in the first three months of 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' I was offered main lead role in movies but I had decided I will have a baby and I knew if I want to have a baby then I can’t be a heroine running around trees. One of those movies was 'Dil Chahta Hai' which I said no to for the audition and they were like ‘are you mad, this is 'Dil Chahta Hai'.” ALSO READ: DID YOU KNOW? Smriti Irani Was Called To Shoot On The Sets Hours After Her Miscarriage, Reveals Anupamaa Actress Apara Mehta
For the unversed, Smriti made her acting debut with Aatish in 1999, before she featured in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi from 2000-2008. She quit acting in 2013 and decided to join politics.
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