Rupali Ganguly starrer Anupamaa co-stars express displeasure over Smriti Irani's recent comments about the show

The cast of Anupamaa was disappointed when Smriti rejected the show as a rival in a recent interview.

Actor-politician Smriti Irani recently returned to television with the reboot of her iconic show, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, which has often been compared to Rupali Ganguly’s Anupamaa due to its historical dominance in TRP ratings.

The cast of Anupamaa was disappointed when Smriti rejected the show as a rival in a recent interview.

Actor Alpana Buch, who plays Baa in Anupamaa, expressed her surprise, saying, “Honourable Smriti ji, this was not expected from you.”

Jaswir Kaur, portraying Rupali Ganguly’s friend, questioned the comparison, commenting, “Is this a midway conversation, or did I hear the question wrongly? Why are you even comparing two different shows from different eras on the same channel? One was the most famous show 25 years ago, and one is the current hit running for five years. Yes, there is no comparison, yet they’re being compared… hmmm.”

Krutika Desai, who plays Pakhi, Anupamaa’s daughter, added, “The show and @rupaliganguly ji haven’t just started something! If you’ve been in the industry, you must know Rupali ji has been part of the entertainment industry for longer than you, @smritiiraniofficial. The question was about two shows competing, not about your political career. Let’s have a healthy competition and uplift the show without demeaning the artist who is its face. Smriti ma’am, you’ve been an idol to everyone, but that doesn’t mean someone else can’t be one too! One should accept that gracefully. Cheers to my on-screen mum, @rupaliganguly — Anupamaa.”

Rupali Ganguly herself has not publicly responded to Smriti’s comments.

During her interview with India Today, Smriti Irani explained her stance, saying, “When somebody reaches number 30 in terms of TRPs, then you can be our competition, right? We were there 25 years ago. If you have the capacity to be remembered for 25 years, then we’ll talk about competition. If you’ve been a three-time MP, a cabinet minister for a decade, a BJP person for 25 years — if you want to compete, you have to be fair to everybody in the so-called competitive sphere.”

She continued, “Do you measure up on all these standards? Then compete. You can’t have somebody who’s just started something and say, ‘Compete with Smriti Irani.’ The competition, or even referring to such a competition, is unfair because you’ll never get to 30. And you’ll never be consistently number one for eight years, which we were. The fact that we’ve had competitive mediums and yet managed to come back after 25 years is remarkable.”

Also read: Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2: Sakshi Tanwar and Kiran Karmakar to make a special appearance in Smriti Irani starrer

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 premiered in July 2025, marking the return of one of India’s most loved television shows after 17 years. The original series, which debuted in 2000, was a massive hit and successfully ruled TV screens for eight years, leaving a lasting legacy in the Indian television industry.