Nivedita Basu recalls the time when Mihir Virani's death scene in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi created ripples, "people thought he really died"

Amar Upadhyay in a scene from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi

Nivedita Basu, who directed the iconic show 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,' recently recalled the time when they telecast the episode of Mihir Virani's death and its impact on their serial back then.

Ekta Kapoor recently announced that they will return with the second season of the hit TV show and it might also mark the return of Smriti Irani to the small screens.

During a recent appearance on Nidhi Punmiya’s podcast, Nivedita recalled the time when they aired Mihir Virani, aka Amar Upadhyay's, death scene and fans went crazy.

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Fans went crazy with the news, with some of them reaching the Balaji Telefilms office.

Producer-director Nivedita Basu recalled handling the unexpected reaction of the audience after Mihir’s death and said, “We hadn’t guessed, and I’m telling you, we didn’t know the magnitude of television back then.”

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She added, “When the Mihir thing happens, you know Ekta has done a trick in the story that when she killed him and in the same episode, she put Amar’s photo at the end of the episode with his real birthday. A lot of people thought he really died.”

Nidhi further recalled that his elderly fans were left devastated and how Amar Upadhyay assured them that he is alive.

She said, “There was a lady who died, and there was a lady who got a heart attack. So there were ladies who were calling on the landline. I remember he entered the gate… I made him speak to those people sitting in the reception that I am alive, Aunty Gujarati. Like I am alive.”

She further reflected on the iconic comeback of Amar Upadhyay to the show that led to the historic ratings in the history of television.

She said, “Of course he was slated to come back… There was mayhem in the industry. Where is he? Is he coming back? And I think that’s how he started the trend of actors coming back to life from the dead…”

She added, “There have been so many shows; there have been so many iconic things when people say this rating or that rating… You cannot touch those ratings… 27 is something a television never saw… That was a comeback of Mihir’s episode.”

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi first premiered in 2000 and enjoyed a successful eight-year run.

The series was set in Gujarat and revolved around Tulsi, played by Smriti Irani, a devoted daughter-in-law, and her marriage to Mihir Virani, aka Amar Upadhyay, a wealthy businessman's grandson, as they navigated life's challenges together.