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JANUARY 02, 2026 | The Indian Eye 27

BIGGEST ENTERTAINERS OF 2025

Smriti Irani in 2025: Politics, Prime

Time and the Power of Reinvention

Balancing public life and popular culture, Smriti Irani in 2025 re-emerged as both a key BJP

organizer and a television icon, redefining what a political comeback can look like.

n 2025, Smriti Irani occupied a space few Indi-
an public figures have ever managed to straddle
Iwith such visibility and confidence. A year after
her electoral defeat in Amethi, Irani returned to the
small screen as a prime-time television star even as
she remained deeply embedded in the Bharatiya
Janata Party’s organizational and ideological work.
The result was a rare dual identity: a politician
without a parliamentary seat but with national in-
fluence, and an actor reclaiming a cultural role that
once defined Indian television.
Her return to acting was nothing short of his-
toric. In July 2025, Irani reprised the role of Tul-
si Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, a
150-episode reboot of the show that had made her
a household name in the early 2000s. Produced
by Ektaa Kapoor and premiering on Star Plus on
July 29, the series reunited Irani with original co-
star Amar Upadhyay, who returned as Mihir. The
nostalgia-driven reboot quickly became one of the
most-watched shows on Indian television, reported-
ly drawing close to five crore viewers every month.
The comeback was also commercially unprece-
dented. Irani became the highest-paid actor in the
history of Indian television, earning a reported `14
lakh per episode. In an industry often marked by
pay disparities and opaque contracts, the figure it- her readiness to take on assignments in upcoming She also made headlines for her outspoken
self became part of the story—symbolizing not just state elections, including Bihar, signaling that elec- cultural interventions. When Aditya Dhar’s film
her star power, but the leverage of a performer re- toral defeat had not reduced her standing within the Dhurandhar faced online backlash, Irani publicly
turning after two decades with an unbroken emo- party’s central leadership. For Irani, 2025 was less defended the film, praising its depiction of sacrifice
tional connect to audiences. about personal electoral ambition and more about and realism. The gesture reinforced her long-stand-
Yet Irani was careful to define the terms of her institutional relevance. ing position that art and storytelling should not be
return. Even at the height of the show’s success, she Her influence also extended beyond domestic judged solely through political filters.
repeatedly described acting as a “side project,” in- politics. In international forums, Irani continued Irani’s personal reflections in 2025 carried a
sisting that she remained a “full-time politician and to position herself as a global advocate on issues sharper edge of self-definition. Speaking at various
part-time actor.” The clarification was more than of gender equity and leadership. She represent- summits in March, she underlined that her politi-
rhetorical. Throughout 2025, Irani maintained an ed India at the World Economic Forum in Davos, cal journey did not begin in 2014 and would not be
active schedule within the BJP, working largely be- where she helped establish a partnership network of confined to electoral outcomes. “I existed before
hind the scenes as an organizer, strategist and pub- around 10,000 international companies focused on 2014,” she remarked, framing her career as one of
lic advocate. advancing gender inclusion in the workplace. These constant reinvention rather than linear ascent. The
Her political role after the 2024 loss evolved engagements reinforced her transition from a min- statement resonated as both a defense and a decla-
rather than diminished. In Delhi, Irani became isterial administrator to a broader political commu- ration—of continuity, resilience and ambition.
deeply involved in the BJP’s membership drive, su- nicator on the global stage. By the end of 2025, Smriti Irani had reasserted
pervising district-level units and strengthening grass- Public engagement remained a defining feature control over her public narrative. She was no lon-
roots structures. Her relocation to a new residence of her year. In November 2025, Irani participated ger just a former Union minister or a defeated MP,
in South Delhi triggered speculation about a possi- in the Sahitya Aajtak session titled “Kyunki Smriti nor merely a television star returning for nostalgia’s
ble Chief Ministerial role ahead of the 2025 Delhi Lekhak Bhi Hai”, where she spoke candidly about sake. Instead, she emerged as a figure comfortable
Assembly elections, speculation she neither con- women’s struggles in balancing family responsibil- with contradiction: a politician thriving outside elec-
firmed nor dismissed. Instead, she emphasized her ities with professional ambition. The session high- toral office, and an actor commanding prime time
availability for any responsibility the party assigned. lighted a lesser-known aspect of her public perso- while insisting that power, for her, still lay elsewhere.
Nationally, Irani remained a visible face of the na—that of a writer and reflective thinker—adding In a year defined by reinvention, Smriti Irani
BJP’s organizational discipline. She publicly stated depth to her otherwise polarizing image. proved that relevance in Indian public life

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