Union Minister of Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, Smriti Irani, recently in an interview with Neelesh Misra, spoke about her interaction with late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, she opened up about her salary, the odd rules producer Shobha Kapoor had imposed on the sets of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, the former actor remembers makers of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi calling her to work a day after miscarriage.
Smriti Irani shares she wishes Sushant Singh Rajput had called her before his death
She recalled how his demise affected her and had an emotional breakdown as she remembered him.
The current Union Minister was a former actress who rose to fame after playing the role of Tulsi on the show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Sushant died by suicide on June 14, 2020.
Recalling the day of Sushant's passing, Smriti shared, "The day Sushant died, I was on a VC (video conference). There were many people. But I just couldn't¦ I said stop it. I felt like, why did he not call me? He should have called once. I had told that boy, 'Tum yaar maarna mat apne aap ko (Please don't kill yourself)."
In the same conversation, she also recalled calling Amit Sadh immediately after Sushant Singh Rajput's death. "Instantly, I was scared for Amit Sadh. I called him and asked him what he is up to. I knew, kuch gadbad karega bachcha (he would do something stupid). Usne mujhe kaha, mujhe nahi rehna, kya kiya iss idiot ne (He told me, I don't want to live, what did this idiot do) I got the sense that something is wrong. Publicist Rohini Iyer told me, 'I am very scared, somebody just find him."
However, Smriti Irani then recalled what Amit said and mentioned, "He asked me, 'You don't have work?' I said, 'I do, but just let's talk'."
Meanwhile, Smriti Irani had seen Sushant Singh Rajput working on the sets adjacent to hers in Mumbai. When she was the I&B minister, she invited him to a masterclass at the IFFI stage with Shekhar Kapur.
Meanwhile, Sushant Singh Rajput and Amit Sadh worked together in Kai Po Che.
Smriti on her salary and odd rules producer Shobha Kapoor had imposed on the sets
Smriti said, "First year of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, I was getting Rs 1800 bucks and I had no car. When I got married, I and Zubin had Rs 30,000. "Mujhe yaad hain, mera make-up man kehta tha, gaadi toh lelo mujhe sharam aata hai mai gaadi pe aata hu (I remember, my make-up man told me to purchase a vehicle because he was embarrassed)."
On working the next day after the miscarriage
Smriti narrated in Hindi, "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 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. I reached the hospital, a nurse came running to ask for an autograph, while I was bleeding. I gave her the autograph, and asked her, 'Admit kar loge, I think I am miscarrying.'"
At the time, Smriti was working double shifts. In the first half of the day, she would shoot for Ravi Chopra's Ramayan, and in the second half, for Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.
Smriti got a call from the production team of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and was asked to come to work the next day. "I said, 'I told you I am not well, I just had a miscarriage' The person replied, 'Koi nahi, 2 baje ki shift mein aa jaiye' (No problem, come for the 2 pm shift)."
Smriti also informed Ravi Chopra about the situation, and he strictly told her to rest. "I requested him if I can come at 8 am for the 7 am shift. I will have to go home once after getting discharged from the hospital. He told me, 'Tumhara dimag kharab hai (Are you mad)? 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 pushed and said, 'Ravi ji Sunday ka episode hai, Sita replace nahi ho sakti (It's Sunday's episode, you can't shoot around me)... He said, 'Main kar lunga (I will manage)."
Smriti shared that she told Ravi Chopra that she has to shoot for 2 pm for Ekta Kapoor's Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She shared, "I told him I am going there at 2 pm else I will get fired. He told me, I don't know about them, don't bother to come to my set. If you have to go there at 2, use my shift to sleep."
The next day, when she reached the set of Ekta's show, she found out that a co-actor had filled the producer's ears with gossip about her miscarriage not being real. Smriti said, "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)."
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