Smriti Irani Reunites With 'Kyunki' Cast, Shares Virani Family Pic
Smriti Irani shares a virtual reunion picture with her Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi co-stars, celebrating a 20-year bond with the Virani family cast.
Key Highlights
- A 20-year bond revisited: Smriti Irani shared a screenshot from a video call reunion with her Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi co-stars, calling their friendship one that "never really parted".
- The Virani family, together again: The picture featured Hiten Tejwani, Gauri Pradhan, Ritu Chaudhary, Ashlesha Savant, Sumeet Sachdev, Ravee Gupta and Sandeep Baswana.
- Nostalgic caption strikes a chord: Smriti's Hindi caption, "20 saal mile nahi...phir mile toh laga, kabhi bichhde hi nahi," paired with "Pagal paltan," resonated with fans of the iconic show.
- A show that defined an era: Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi premiered in 2000, ran for eight iconic years, and turned its characters into household names across India.
- Timely reunion amid a revival: The virtual catch-up comes as the show's second season, which kicked off in August 2026, keeps the Virani family narrative alive for a new audience.
Actress-turned-politician Smriti Irani was recently seen sharing a picture with her Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi team, calling it a friendship that has lasted for nearly two decades.
In a social media post, Smriti shared a picture featuring Hiten Tejwani, Gauri Pradhan, Ritu Chaudhary, Ashlesha Savant, Sumeet Sachdev, Ravee Gupta and Sandeep Baswana, bringing together members of the show's much-loved Virani family. The picture appears to be a screenshot from a video call, with the actors catching up virtually; a smaller frame at the bottom also features Sandeep Baswana and Ashlesha Sawant separately.
Sharing the picture, Smriti wrote: "20 saal mile nahi...phir mile toh laga, kabhi bichhde hi nahi," captioning the reunion "Pagal paltan" while tagging her former co-stars.
For the uninitiated, Hiten played Karan Virani, Gauri portrayed Nandini Virani, Ritu played Shobha Virani, Ashlesha essayed Teesha Mehta Virani, Sumeet was seen as Gautam Virani, Ravee played Damini Virani, and Sandeep portrayed Sahil Virani.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi premiered in 2000, produced by Ekta Kapoor, and centred on the Virani family — particularly Tulsi Virani, played by Smriti Irani. The show became a television phenomenon during its original eight-year run, with its characters becoming household names.
About the show's much-discussed revival: After 25 years off air, the show returned as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, premiering July 29, 2025, on Star Plus and JioHotstar, with Smriti Irani and Amar Upadhyay reprising Tulsi and Mihir Virani alongside several original cast members, including Hiten Tejwani, Gauri Pradhan, Shakti Anand and Ketaki Dave, joined by newer actors such as Shagun Sharma and Rohit Suchanti. Speaking about the revival at a public event, Irani reflected on how television has transformed over 25 years, noting that between TV and OTT, the industry today employs about 2 million people in India, with television generating roughly Rs 30,000 crore in revenue last year and OTT around Rs 24,000 crore. Producer Ekta Kapoor had initially resisted the idea of relaunching the show for its 25th anniversary before eventually deciding to bring it back. This latest reunion picture comes as the revival season nears its conclusion, giving added context to the "20 saal" nostalgia in Smriti's caption — the original show's ensemble reconnecting even as the newer version's own run winds down.
