McDonald's, journalism, TV bahu and then Union ministry- The rise of Smriti Irani
From weighing tables at McDonalds, to Miss India, to acting and then becoming a Cabinet Minister in the Modi government- Smriti Irani’s rise looks nothing less than a story put of a TV drama.
The rise of Smriti Irani
Working at McDonalds
Smriti Irani- born to a Bengali mother and a Punjabi father- had in many previous interviews revealed that she had humble beginnings. The family was settled in Delhi, and Smriti began working soon after completing her schooling to support her family. One of her early jobs included working as a cleaner for a McDonald's outlet.
Worked in Zee Media
Not many know that Smriti Irani also worked as a stringer-reporter with Zee News in the 1990s. She covered Goa Vidhan Sabha during that time.
Modelling and participating in Miss India
Irani, as a newcomer in Mumbai, dabbled in modelling assignments and even participated inthe Miss India beauty pageant in 1998. She was one of the top 10 finalists that year. However, she did not win the crown. The participation did lead to a few modelling gigs.
Tulsi Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi
Ekta Kapoor’s show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi changed the trajectory of Smriti Malhotra Irani’s career. Not only did the show catapult her to superstardom, but the show itself changed Indian Television forever. In an earlier interview, Smriti Irani recalled that it was an astrologer who had recommended her name to Ekta Kapoor. The producer was a regular visitor of the said astrologer who had also met Smriti. The actress was offered Rs 1800 a day when the show started, which the actress felt was a ransom amount considering her meagre salary at that time. She subsequently starred in Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat, Ek Thi Nyaaka, Virudh and more but none of these shows created as much buzz as Kyunki. While Kyunki was the show that made her a star, it was not her debut performance. Smriti Irani made her debut with TV series Aatish and Hum Hain Kal Aaj Aur Kal.
Politics
Smriti Irani Bhartiya Janata Party in 2003. The following year, she was appointed as the vice-president of the Maharashtra Youth Wing in 2004. In early 2020, Irani was appointed National Secretary of the BJP and later served as the All India President of the BJP Women’s Wing.
Defeating Rahul Gandhi, Cabinet ministry
In 2011, Irani was sworn in as a member of Parliament from Gujarat to the Rajya Sabha. Irani contested the 2014 general elections against Rahul Gandhi in the Amethi constituency of Uttar Pradesh and lost. However, she was appointed as the Minister of Human Resource Development in the newly elected Modi government. In 2016, she was given charge of the Ministry of Textiles and later became the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting in 2017. In 2019, she defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi constituency, known for being a Congress stronghold all these years.
Tulsi 2.0
In 2024, she lost the Amethi seat. In July 2025, Smriti Irani announced her comeback to television with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2. The finite show will air on Star Plus from July 29. The cast also includes Amar Upadhyay, Hiten Tejwani, Gauri Pradhan and Shakti Anand, who were also part of the original show.
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