Sometimes Stories Never End They are reborn..❤️
I am presenting to you a small glimpse of the book which is very close to my heart, which not only I but everyone has seen on TV in childhood. This children’s film from the 90s is a part of childhood which children watched with their mothers. Today the same generation is watching it with their children. Maybe new children will like our work.
A show which is teaching new things to the kids about the relationship between husband and wife or the relationship between children and parents; whatever scenes were created, dialogues or story were told, it is not limited to a family drama, it is also giving a social lesson which today’s children do with their parents; maybe everyone is coming to know the importance of relationships through the show and are respecting them, this is the aim of a good show.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2: A Legacy Reborn
Introduction – The Return of an Icon
In the annals of Indian television history, few titles possess the magnetic weight of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The series, which first graced the small screen in July 2000, became more than just a daily soap; it was a social phenomenon, a cultural marker that defined an era and etched itself into the collective consciousness of a generation. Across its eight-year span, it delivered not merely entertainment but also ritual, routine, and reverence.
To speak of Tulsi Virani, the fictional daughter-in-law brought to life by Smriti Irani, is to evoke memories of household discussions, of elders pausing domestic chores at 10 p.m., of neighbourhoods reverberating with the same theme song in a synchronised rhythm. Amar Upadhyay’s Mihir Virani was not just a character; he became a national obsession whose onscreen death and resurrection altered how television was consumed.
Now, nearly a quarter of a century later, the Virani family has returned. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, premiering on 29 July 2025, attempts what very few cultural revivals dare: to reawaken nostalgia while also speaking to a new era. For a world shaped by streaming platforms, rapid consumption, and shifting family dynamics, the challenge is formidable. And yet, the Viranis have always thrived on the impossible.
Chapter One – A Cultural Earthquake in 2000
Television’s Golden Age
At the dawn of the new millennium, India’s entertainment landscape was in transition. Doordarshan’s monopoly had long dissolved, cable networks were expanding, and Star Plus, once dominated by English-language shows, sought a deeper connection with the masses. Into this vacuum stepped Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms with a vision: to revive the traditional joint family on screen, but to cloak it in the sheen of melodrama, ritual, and modern production values.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was the perfect storm. It presented the Virani household not merely as a family but as a microcosm of India—conservative yet aspirational, fractured yet united, regressive yet reforming.
Tulsi as Archetype
Tulsi Virani was not just a protagonist. She was a cultural archetype—devoted, righteous, endlessly sacrificing. Yet she was also resilient, outspoken, and morally unyielding. She became the mirror through which millions of Indian women saw their aspirations, frustrations, and fortitude reflected. Tulsi was as much myth as she was character: part goddess, part everywoman.
Chapter Two – Defining Moments of the Original Run
The first season of Kyunki (2000–2008) endured for an astonishing 1,833 episodes. Its longevity was not accidental but carefully engineered through shocks, innovations, and a keen sense of audience psychology.
Mihir’s “Death” and Resurrection
No event in Indian television has quite matched the hysteria following Mihir’s presumed death. Newspapers chronicled candlelight vigils. Fans besieged Balaji Telefilms’ office. Viewers wrote desperate letters begging for Mihir’s return. Ekta Kapoor obliged, resurrecting him in a twist that confirmed the porous boundary between fiction and reality.
The Tulsi–Savita Rivalry
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law trope is as old as Indian drama itself, yet Kyunki elevated it to Shakespearean grandeur. Apara Mehta’s Savita was both formidable and vulnerable, and her clashes with Tulsi symbolised intergenerational discord within families grappling with modernity.
Ritual and Excess
The series wove festivals, weddings, and familial rituals into its narrative fabric, ensuring viewers saw their own cultural rhythms reflected. Lavish sets, elaborate costumes, and heightened drama transformed daily life into spectacle.
Chapter Three – Silence After the Storm
When the series concluded in 2008, Indian television entered a different phase. The surfeit of saas-bahu dramas led to fatigue. Reality shows, talent competitions, and news debates surged in popularity. By the mid-2010s, OTT platforms like Netflix and Hotstar disrupted the very grammar of viewing. The idea of a family collectively sitting down at a fixed hour to consume fiction began to appear quaint.
For years, the Viranis seemed a relic. Rumours of a reboot would circulate occasionally, but none came to fruition. Tulsi had become a politician, Mihir had aged into new roles, and the world seemed to have moved on. Yet nostalgia, like a dormant ember, never truly extinguishes.
Chapter Four – The Rebirth of an Era (2025)
The Announcement
Early 2025 brought the revelation that stunned even sceptics: Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was returning. Social media erupted, hashtags trended, and think pieces speculated whether the past could be resurrected. The timing was symbolic—the twenty-fifth anniversary of the original launch.
Smriti Irani’s Return
Perhaps the boldest coup was convincing Smriti Irani, now a seasoned politician, to reprise Tulsi. Her return blurred the lines between cultural memory and contemporary reality. Amar Upadhyay too returned, ensuring the heart of the Virani saga—Tulsi and Mihir—remained intact.
Chapter Five – Cast and Characters: Old and New
Returning Icons
- Tulsi Virani (Smriti Irani) – The once-suffering daughter-in-law is now the matriarch, balancing empathy with authority. Her character embodies both continuity and evolution.
- Mihir Virani (Amar Upadhyay) – Still dignified, yet now confronting generational dissonance and the changing contours of business and family life.
The New Generation
- Pari – A modern, ambitious woman trapped in a loveless marriage, concealing her passion for another.
- Ajay – Pari’s insecure husband, desperate to maintain what he senses is slipping away.
- Ranvijay – Pari’s clandestine lover, enigmatic and unsettling, his presence threatening the Virani unity.
- Karan and Nandini – Representing the diaspora dilemma, their conflict about living in India or abroad echoes the struggles of countless families.
Chapter Six – Storylines in Motion
Diaspora Versus Homeland
Karan’s insistence on remaining in America clashes with Nandini’s longing for Indian soil. Their discord reverberates through Shantiniketan, symbolising the tug-of-war between migration and roots.
A Forbidden Romance
Pari’s concealed passion for Ranvijay forms the emotional core of the early episodes. Her refusal to engage intimately with Ajay, her furtive encounters with her lover, generate both suspense and sympathy.
Tulsi’s Mediation
As in the past, Tulsi emerges as mediator, caught between traditions and shifting realities. Her role illustrates the tension of holding together a family buffeted by modern storms.
Chapter Seven – Nostalgia Reloaded
Reboots live or die on nostalgia, and Kyunki 2 leans into it with deftness.
- Recreated Scenes – The premiere re-enacted the famous colour-splash moment between Tulsi and Mihir, an affectionate homage to loyal fans.
- Flashbacks – Old footage woven into current episodes creates a palimpsest of memory.
- Iconic Music – The familiar theme tune, once derided as melodramatic, now stirs warmth.
- Shantiniketan Reimagined – The Virani home has been modernised yet retains its grandeur, a symbol of continuity amid change.
Chapter Eight – Audience Reactions
The launch episode was less a broadcast than a national reunion. Fans who once watched with grandparents now tuned in with their children. Social media flooded with nostalgic memes, tearful testimonials, and playful edits.
One fan declared: “It feels like time stood still. Tulsi walked in, and suddenly it was 2000 again.” Another observed: “I never thought I’d see my mother cry at a television show again—but Tulsi did it.”
Chapter Nine – Behind the Curtains
Ekta Kapoor, never one to underestimate her audience, ensured the reboot balanced past and present. A dual-release strategy on Star Plus and Hotstar acknowledges shifting consumption habits. The writing team oscillates between traditional tropes—love triangles, generational rifts—and modern issues: consent in marriage, the stresses of globalisation, the relevance of family unity.
Chapter Ten – Themes for 2025
- Marriage and Consent
Through Pari and Ajay, the series interrogates intimacy, autonomy, and the fragility of marital bonds. What was once unspoken is now brought into dialogue.
- Migration and Identity
Karan and Nandini embody the diasporic conflict: ambition abroad versus belonging at home. Their dilemma is deeply contemporary, reflecting India’s globalised reality.
- Generational Friction
Tulsi now represents the older guard, but her struggle is not to dominate—it is to reconcile. The narrative reflects how values shift yet remain tethered to tradition.
- Chapter Eleven – Cultural Reverberations
The reboot has reignited interest in Indian daily soaps. Other production houses contemplate revivals of their classics. Conversations cross generations: grandparents narrating Mihir’s resurrection to grandchildren, families rediscovering communal viewing.
Once again, Indian television has produced “event viewing”—rare in an age of fragmented streaming.
Chapter Twelve – Criticisms and Hurdles
Even nostalgia cannot conceal flaws. Critics argue some storylines are recycled, pacing remains sluggish compared to bingeable OTT series, and Smriti Irani’s political identity complicates immersion for certain viewers. Yet the gravitational pull of Tulsi and Mihir outweighs these concerns.
Chapter Thirteen – Speculations and Fan Theories
Online spaces overflow with predictions. Will Tulsi be forced to choose between Nandini and Karan? Is Ranvijay a saboteur within Mihir’s empire? Will Ekta Kapoor reprise her signature leap into the next generation, ensuring endless continuity?
Such speculation, though whimsical, testifies to the show’s grip on the imagination.
Conclusion – Can Lightning Strike Twice?
To revive a legend is to tempt both triumph and failure. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 walks this precarious line with courage. It does not merely bank on nostalgia but attempts to reinterpret themes of family, belonging, and morality for 2025.
Whether it achieves the immortal stature of its predecessor remains uncertain. But perhaps the measure of success is not in comparison but in continuity. Tulsi Virani, once a symbol of sacrifice, is now an emblem of resilience across generations.
In returning, she has reminded India of a truth as old as storytelling itself: families fracture, reconcile, and endure—but they remain the stage upon which every drama, whether real or fictional, eternally unfolds.–
About The Author
Adarsh Swaroop, the journalist and author
Born in Agra in 1992, this Adarsh Swaroop has an extensive career across multiple creative fields.
Journalism: He has worked as a Film Critics Analyst and Senior Content Writer for Hindustan Times. He also served as an editor for a local news channel in Agra called Taj News.Author: He is the author of several books, with genres ranging from fiction and fantasy to military history.
Lie: Love Is Enough (2022) Befikkarr Dil (2022) Lights Camera Action (2023) Peshawar 1919 (2023) Fall In The Gilgit War (2023) Time Machine: The Fantasy Adventure Stories (2023) The Indian Undercover Soldiers (2024)
Film critic: Since entering the industry in 2015, he has worked as a Bollywood trade analyst and film critic, providing box office predictions and film reviews.
Performer and artist: He has worked as a model for Lakme Fashion Week, Wills Fashion, and Van Heusen. He has also performed in dance tours and acted in a television serial.
✨ Final Note from the Author
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 is not just a television series; it is a cultural artefact, a reflection of societal values, and a mirror of human emotion. It bridges generations, combines tradition with modernity, and exemplifies the power of storytelling to endure, evolve, and inspire.
The Virani household, with all its trials, triumphs, and transformations, remains a timeless stage on which the drama of life—fictional or real—continues to unfold.
