Smriti Irani Returns to TV as Kishori Lal Shines in Amethi

During Rajiv Gandhi's lifetime, 'Amethi' held a special significance in North India. There were clear directives ensuring that anyone arriving from Amethi was not to be stopped at the entrance of 10, Janpath, Rajiv Gandhi's residence at the time. This was also the case at the Prime Minister's residence on Race Course Road, now known as Lok Kalyan Marg. As Amethi was the Prime Minister's parliamentary constituency, its residents were automatically regarded as VIPs, but this was about 40 years ago. Over time, Amethi, once a symbol of Congress pride, was overlooked and its prominence diminished. After Rajiv Gandhi lost the election and moved to the opposition, the area lost its VIP status, leaving its people politically abandoned. In 2019, the region sent a powerful message to the Congress's first family, driven by feelings of anger, disappointment, and betrayal. Despite having supported the Gandhi family in most elections even after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, the area felt neglected and chose to alter the status quo.

Then the BJP’s Smriti Irani entered the fray, not because of her victory, but because she defeated a Gandhi in the Gandhi family’s bastion. Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani. So when a relatively unknown face like Kishori Lal Sharma was pitted against Smriti Irani in 2024, who looked insignificant in front of a Union minister and sitting MP, nobody expected him to win, but he did. Not only did she lose Amethi, but Smriti Irani also lost the “giant slayer” title she had won in 2019. This time the tables had turned. After the 2024 victory, Kishori Lal was called the “giant slayer”, the same man whom Irani had once called a “servant of the Gandhi family”. Critics called him a loyal, even devoted, Gandhi family loyalist who would stoop to any level to please the Congress first family.

Kishori Lal did not deny these allegations, but openly expressed his gratitude to the Gandhi family. He told the media, "Whatever I am today is because of them. The Gandhi family has always supported me. They chose me, understood the value of my loyalty and gave me this honour. I can never forget what they have done for me." Irani had taunted him by calling him a 'servant of the Gandhi family'. His opponents called him a 'puppet'. You may call it loyalty, subordination, devotion, dedication or in the words of L.K. Advani, 'readiness to crawl when asked to bend', but Kishori Lal is clear about his loyalty. He says - I have the right to say my point in that family and he also denies this by saying that he is only a 'rubber stamp'.

After a year, Kishori Lal recalls the moment when he was hesitant to contest the election and I can never forget what Priyanka Gandhi said to me when I was reluctant to contest the election. He said that for decades I have worked hard in the election of every member of the Gandhi family. Now it is their turn, they should do their duty. Kishori Lal's eyes filled up while saying this. The common word between these two is 'bhaiya'. This is a special relationship, which has stood the test of years.

If we understand this relationship, then it is known that both call each other 'bhaiya' - Kishori Lal is 'bhaiya ji' for Priyanka Gandhi, while Priyanka calls him 'Kishori bhaiya'. Kishori Lal says, “I have always called her Bhaiya Ji. Whenever I send a message, I address her as Bhaiya Ji and she calls me as Kishori Bhaiya. Actually, during the 1999 elections, when she came to Amethi with Sonia Gandhi, I asked the SPG how to address Priyanka Ji. They told me that she always calls us Bhaiya Ji, so we also started calling her Bhaiya Ji, we thought she likes it. Since then, I have always called her Bhaiya Ji.” The picture that went viral during the election campaign last year was of Priyanka Gandhi and Kishori Lal having food together.

The Congress' victory in Amethi has been a big achievement not only for the party but also for Kishori Lal, especially when he was almost unknown outside the parliamentary constituency. The truth is that if he had not defeated a popular leader like Smriti Irani, he might not have even come into the limelight. By all standards, Smriti Irani is an influential leader, having been handpicked as a Union minister by Narendra Modi himself in 2014. She has previously been a Member of Parliament in both Houses. In 2019, Smriti Irani made headlines when she defeated Rahul Gandhi in his own bastion of Amethi. Fierce, outspoken and aggressive, Irani was the woman in politics everyone was looking up to. But things changed last year when she was defeated in Amethi by Kishori Lal Sharma, the same man she had once dismissed as a “servant of the Gandhi family”. Her political graph stalled after this defeat. She did not find a place in the Modi cabinet and was given only minor responsibilities here and there. Simply put, she was politically marginalised.

Irani is Irani. She doesn't waste time and doesn't rely on anyone's support. Her dedication to the BJP is beyond doubt, and she claims to be always prepared to meet the party's needs. Her identity is marked by her ability to reinvent herself over time. Before her political career, she was a familiar face, recognized by many across the nation. For those unaware, Smriti Irani was famously known as 'Tulsi Virani', the lead character in Ekta Kapoor's hit TV series 'Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'. This show was a staple in Indian households for years, and 'Tulsi' became a beloved figure in every family. It took her several years to shed the 'Tulsi' image and establish herself as 'Smriti'.

After seeing many ups and downs in her nearly two decade long political life, now Smriti has again turned to acting and that too with the new version of the same serial which made her famous in every household. Smriti will be seen playing the role of 'Tulsi' once again in the show that completed over 1800 episodes between 2000 and 2008.

By the end of this month, 'Tulsi' i.e. Smriti is returning to the small screen once again, to showcase her acting skills in a new avatar and put her political image behind for a while. However, this does not mean that she is quitting politics. Rather, she has time and wants to make better use of it. As Smriti herself says "I am a full-time politician and part-time actress." So while Priyanka Gandhi's "Kishori Bhaiya" is representing Amethi in Parliament, Smriti Irani is all set to make her presence felt on television once again.