Jaya Bhattacharya says got a mere Rs 1000 hike on Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi: ‘Was the most underpaid actor

Actress Jaya Bhattacharya shared her frustration about being the lowest-paid actor on the show.

Veteran actress Jaya Bhattacharya, who worked alongside Smriti Irani in the initial run of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi for seven years, revealed that she was the most underpaid cast member on the set.

The actress recently seen in an interview with Siddharth Kannan for his podcast on Youtube.

During the interview she remembered her experience of working on Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The actress portrayed the role of Payal Parikh in the series, but it's unclear if she'll reprise her role in the upcoming reboot.

Remembering her past, she said, “I was the most underpaid actor. I never got a raise. Only once I asked for a raise, and while everyone got a raise of 2000 rupees, I got only Rs 1000. That hit my ego, so I didn’t ask for it ever again and hence didn’t get a raise for a straight 7 years.”

At that point, the interviewer asked whether the other cast members had received raises during those seven years. Jaya replied, "Oh yes... woh log toh kahan se kahan paunch gaye”.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi transformed Indian TV with its dramatic storytelling, unforgettable characters, and legendary dialogues. Aired on Star Plus from 2000 to 2008, the show was produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms and revolved around the Virani family, particularly their resilient daughter-in-law Tulsi, played by Smriti Irani.

Also read: Priyanka Chopra enjoys family day out at Aladdin Broadway Show in New York; shares moments with Nick Jonas and daughter Malti

Its massive popularity redefined the "saas-bahu" genre, making it a landmark in Indian television history.

Now the show is about to make its comeback after 17 long years. The famous show ready to premiere on Star Plus and on Jio Hotstar on July 29. The new promo of the show highlights Tulsi discussing the importance of Sanskar (moral values) in our fast-evolving world. The caption quotes: "Badalte waqt mein ek naye nazariye ke saath laut rahi hai Tulsi! Unke iss naye safar mein judne ke liye kya aap hain taiyyar?