Even as Smriti Irani’s Tulsi Virani opened the doors of her home on Tuesday (July 29) night to the audiences in a reboot of ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, Rupali Ganguly, known for her role in ‘Anupamaa’, extended a warm welcome to Irani — who now dons the mantle of a seasoned politician in real life — marking her return to Star Plus.

However, despite the hype and hoopla of rebooted ‘Kyunki Saas…’ — a show that started the trend of everyday soaps with millions hooked on to the trials and tribulations of the Virani family 25 years ago — a lot has changed since, PTI reports stated yesterday.

The report raised many valid queries as OTT has revolutionised the entertainment scene with the best of shows from India and abroad available to audiences at the click of a button. Will ‘Kyunki…’, which returns on Star Plus and JioHotstar, keep in step with changing societal times or stick to the old format of a joint family drama with lavish sets, elaborate costumes and high octane emotions? Will it be able to grab the attention of younger audiences used to slicker, more contemporary shows?

Meanwhile, a PTI dispatch from New Delhi stated that Ganguly’s warm welcome to Irani on Star Plus was announced through a crossover promo shared on the channel’s Instagram account.

Irani is stepping back into the spotlight with the revamped version of Ektaa Kapoor‘s iconic 2000 show, which originally concluded in 2008. In the promotional clip, Ganguly and Irani engage in a video call in which their respective characters, Anupama and Tulsi, speak in Gujarati  and Anupama joyfully welcomes Tulsi back to the Star Plus family.

The post’s caption emphasized the emotional connection between the two characters: “Where Tulsi and Anupama are together, their family and relationship stories become our special memories. Tonight an old memory is returning as a new story. Like Anupama, are you ready to welcome Tulsi?”

‘Anupamaa’, starring Ganguly and produced by Rajan Shahi, has achieved top TRP ratings since its launch in 2020. Ektaa Kapoor, in an interview with Brut India, stated that comparing the two shows would be unfair: “‘Anupamaa’, the show, and Rajan, the creator, have done what nobody could do in the last seven years. They’ll continue to be number 1. And they should continue to be number 1,” she asserted.

Kapoor further expressed her perspective on comparisons: “We’re coming in with our purpose, to tell our story. These unfair comparisons with lead characters and lead shows are so unnecessary. Pitting women against each other, content against each other is so uncalled for,” she added.

‘Anupamaa’ continues to air at its usual time slot of 10 pm, while ‘Kyunki Saas…’ is slated for the 10.30 pm slot.