Today, Smriti Irani is known as a prominent figure in Indian politics. But long before she stepped into politics, she was a young woman from a traditional family with dreams that took her life in a surprising direction. On Navika Kumar’s podcast, the actor-turned-politician recalled her early years and the defining moment that pushed her into a completely new direction.
Smriti Irani on building her own identity
Growing up as Smriti Malhotra, she lived in a household where career choices for women were expected to remain conventional. She recalled an incident that made her realise how little respect she felt she was recieving in the family business. While discussing the possibility of buying an agency in Mumbai’s Thane area, a remark about her role in the buisness let her deeply offended. “Main inke saath kaam karungi, toh meri koi izzat nahi hai”, she wondered.
Driven by instinct and a desire to carve out an identity of her own, she quietly filled out the Femina Miss India form without telling anyone at home. “I had seen the advertisement in The Times of India. I clicked a picture of myself and sent it in,” Irani recalled.
Smriti Irani’s father shocked over her Miss India selection
Smriti’s father was furious when he found out that she was confirmed as a finalist. She recalled, “jo pitayi hui hai uske baad, he said to me tum bewkoof ho, tumko parna likhna nhi ata, media glamour main toh vo jate hai jo thode lalcheele hote hai, tum ho vaisi?”
“She said, every time I completed a round, I would run away, and the Times of India people used to call me, ‘Ma’am, you have been chosen; please come back, so I became a finalist. Then I suddenly realised this profession needs a lot of money. So, I borrowed money from my father and told him I would pay him back. He said, “If you don’t return it, I’ll marry you off to whoever I choose.”
Though she didn’t win the Miss India crown, Irani said she was lucky enough to find a career, gain exposure to acting, become a Tulsi Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and later enter politics.
