When Gautami Kapoor replaced Smriti Irani as Tulsi in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi; says ‘I have received a lot of flak but Ekta told me to trust her’

Taking on the role of Tulsi Virani after Smriti Irani in the iconic daily soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was no small feat. In a candid chat with Hauterrfly, Gautami Kapooropened up about her brief yet impactful stint in the series and the backlash she faced. “Ekta offered me Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. I replaced Smriti Irani for about a year. Because it was iconic.Smriti was Tulsi for seven years. So when Ekta called me, a lot of people were are angry. I think I've gotten flak a lot of times in life, but that's the fun of it. So when Ekta called me for the meeting, so I was like ‘Am I hearing right?’” Gautami shared.Despite the criticism, Gautami chose to trust Ekta Kapoor. “She was like ‘Just do it, You trust me’ and she said, it's a small commitment. I had one-year-old child. She said, ‘Don't worry, we’ll adjust everything, we'll figure.”True to her word, Ekta adjusted the work schedule for Gautami, limiting her shoot hours to four or five a day. She said, “So they adjusted my work hours. I used to work only for four to five hours in a day and they adjusted everything for me and my small commitment of a month stretched for one year.” What was supposed to be a month-long commitment extended to nearly a year. “I’ve never really spoken to Smriti. I’m sure Ekta must have.She told me, ‘Just do your job.’ I was trembling on my first day, but after that, there was no looking back,” Gautami recalled.An established name in Indian television, Gautami Kapoor had already proven her mettle in shows like Ghar Ek Mandir and Kehta Hai Dil. Though her tenure as Tulsi was short-lived, it remains a memorable chapter in her career.Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was a groundbreaking Indian television soap opera created by Ekta Kapoor. Premiering in 2000, it redefined family dramas with its iconic characters, especially Tulsi, and became a cultural phenomenon across Indian households.