Why did Ektaa Kapoor say ‘no’ to ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, then change her mind?

Television producer Ektaa Kapoor is bringing back ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, the iconic daily soap that once ruled Indian living rooms. But this isn’t just a nostalgia trip, it’s a deliberate decision, one that Kapoor initially resisted.

The original show, which ran from 2000 to 2008 on Star Plus, catapulted its lead character Tulsi Virani, played by Smriti Irani, to national fame. The story of the Virani family became an everyday ritual in countless Indian households, defining an entire era of television.

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As the show marked its 25th anniversary last month, the buzz around a reboot began to build.

And then came the big announcement: ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ is returning on July 29, with Irani reprising her role.

 

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But Ektaa Kapoor, in a candid Instagram post, revealed that reviving the show was never part of her original plan.

“When the idea of bringing it back came up, my first answer was an emphatic no,” Kapoor wrote. “You can’t compete with nostalgia. It lives in a special place, untouchable and always more perfect in memory.”

Yet something changed. Kapoor says a global study caught her attention. It showed how ‘Kyunki’ and her other show ‘Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki’ helped Indian women find a voice in their homes.

“Between 2000 and 2005, women began engaging in family discussions like never before,” she said. “These shows played a part in that. ‘Kyunki’ wasn’t just entertainment, it tackled issues like domestic and marital violence, age shaming, and even euthanasia.”

Also Read: ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ teaser OUT: Smriti Irani’s Tulsi returns after 25 years

According to her, these weren’t just dramatic plot points, they opened up uncomfortable but necessary conversations at the dinner table.

So what changed her mind?

“It wasn’t about ratings or recreating magic,” Kapoor shared. “It was about impact. About telling stories that ask uncomfortable questions. We live in a time of high-gloss content, but I wanted to go back to storytelling that matters.”

The new version, titled ‘Kyunki Saas Abhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, will be a limited-episode series, a far cry from the years-long daily soap format the original followed.

Kapoor says she wants to spark dialogue again, even if only for a short while.

Smriti Irani’s return to the role of Tulsi has also added weight to the revival. Now an active politician and Union Minister, Irani had famously balanced her acting career and political life in the early 2000s.

Kapoor’s final words in her statement reflect this spirit: “Cheers to ‘Kyunki’, cheers to the power of storytelling, cheers to less of what happened before and cheers to what will come!”

The reboot premieres July 29 on Star Plus and JioCinema (Hotstar), and while Kapoor acknowledges that it will never match the cultural wave of the original, that’s not the goal.