When Smriti Irani was called on set to work a day after suffering miscarriage
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Smriti Irani, who is now Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development recently recalled how she learned a lesson about humanity when she was called to work a day after she had a miscarriage.
Actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani is one of the best-known faces of the Indian TV film industry. Irani became a household name after she played the role of Tulsi Virani in the hit TV show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thiand later in Ramayan, in which she played the role of Sita. However, now she's away from the TV but not from the spotlight.
The actress, who is now Union Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development, recently recalled how she learned a lesson about humanity when she was called to work a day after she had a miscarriage.
Speaking to Neelesh Misra on The Slow Interview, the former actress said thatback then she was working on two shows simultaneously, one was Ekta Kapoor's Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and another was Ravi Chopra's Ramayan when she suffered a miscarriage.
Recalling the heartbreaking incident, she said as I was working a double shift and two daily soaps at that time and was not ever aware that she was pregnant.
"I was not aware that I am pregnant. I was on the set (of 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi') and I told them I am not well enough to shoot and asked to be allowed to go home. But still, I worked, and by the time they let me go, it was evening already. The doctor suggested, I go for a sonography. On my way, I started bleeding, and I remember it was raining. I stopped an auto and asked the driver to take me to the hospital. When I reached the hospital, a nurse came running, asking for an autograph... all while I was bleeding. I signed an autograph, and then asked her, 'admit kar loge? I think I have suffered a miscarriage'."
Ekta Kapoor's hit show has many characters, and it was easy for the makers to shift the schedule around any other character of the show, but in Chopra's show, there were not many options, and since she is playing one of the lead roles, she had to be on the set. Still, the makers of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi called her onthe set, but Ravi Chopra, who could suffer after Smriti's absence, offered her leave and asked her to rest.
Recalling her chat with Ravi Chopra, Smriti said in Hindi, "He told me, 'tumhara dimag kharab hai' (Are you out of your mind)? Do you know how it feels to lose a child, you have just gone through that. Kal aane ki zaroorat nahi (No need to come tomorrow)."
"I, however, pushed and told him that it's a Sunday episode and (the character) Sita can't be replaced," to which the director replied that he will manage.
However, the scenario was different at Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, where she had to return to
work and showed the producer Ekta her medical reports as proof.
She also found out that a co-actor had told the producer that she was lying about her miscarriage.
"The person didn't realise that I have returned because I needed money to pay EMIs for my house. The next day, I took all my medical papers to Ekta to tell her it is not a drama. She got uncomfortable and told me not to show the papers. I told her, 'foetus bacha nahi, warna woh bhi dikha deti' (I would have shown you the foetus also had it been there)."
(With inputs from the agencies)
Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 9:14 am