Smriti Irani (born 1976)

Smriti Irani is an Indian politician and former television actress. She was born on March 23, 1976, in New Delhi, India. She is best known for her roles in popular television shows like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Mere Angne Mein. However, she later transitioned into politics and is currently a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and serving as the Minister of Women and Child Development and Minister of Textiles in the Cabinet of India.

Early Life and Education

Smriti Irani was born as Smriti Malhotra in New Delhi to a Punjabi-Maharashtrian family. Her father, Ajay Kumar Malhotra, was a Bengali-Punjabi and her mother, Shibani Bagchi, is a Bengali. She has three sisters and one brother. She completed her schooling from Holy Child Auxilium School in Delhi and then pursued her undergraduate degree in commerce from the University of Delhi but didn't complete it.

Career in Television

Smriti Irani started her career in the entertainment industry as a model in the early 1990s. She made her television debut with the show Aatish in 1994. However, she gained immense popularity with the show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which aired from 2000 to 2008. The show was produced by Ekta Kapoor and was a huge success. Smriti Irani played the lead role of Tulsi Virani and won several awards for her performance.

After Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Smriti Irani went on to act in several other television shows like Kasturi, Virrudh, Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasmaan, and Mere Angne Mein, among others.

Career in Politics

Smriti Irani joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2003 and was appointed as the National Secretary of the party's youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. In 2004, she contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Chandni Chowk constituency in Delhi but lost to Kapil Sibal of the Indian National Congress.

In 2010, she was appointed as the president of the BJP's women's wing, Bharatiya Janata Mahila Morcha. She also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat from 2011 to 2014.

In 2014, Smriti Irani contested the Lok Sabha elections again, this time from the Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, against the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Although she lost the election, she was appointed as the Minister of Human Resource Development in the Narendra Modi-led government.

In 2016, she was given the additional charge of the Ministry of Textiles. She was re-elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat in 2017.

In 2019, Smriti Irani contested the Lok Sabha elections again from the Amethi constituency and defeated Rahul Gandhi by a margin of over 55,000 votes. She was then appointed as the Minister of Women and Child Development and the Minister of Textiles in the second term of the Narendra Modi-led government.

Achievements and Controversies

As an actress, Smriti Irani won several awards for her performances, including the Indian Television Academy Awards, Star Parivaar Awards, and Zee Gold Awards, among others.

In politics, Smriti Irani has been credited with several initiatives, including the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which aims to provide clean cooking fuel to households below the poverty line.