‘Tulsi Wasn’t a Role, It Was an Emotion’: Internet Melts as Smriti Irani Returns in 'Kyunki Saans Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'

“Tulsi wasn’t a role, it was an emotion… and you lived it perfectly. My Champion.” Sometimes, a serial becomes a memory tucked into the folds of every home. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was that memory.

Twenty-five years ago, a woman in a maroon saree would open the door on your TV screen, her presence so warm that it felt like she was welcoming you home. Today, the internet is drenched in nostalgia as Smriti Irani returns as Tulsi Virani in the Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi reboot, confirming months of speculation with a first look that transported viewers straight back to the early 2000s.

“I Was Crying Buckets”: The Post That Made the Internet Tear Up

A few days ago, Smriti Irani shared a heartfelt throwback with her Kyunki co-stars Sudha Shivpuri and Apara Mehta, captioning, “25 years ago, a story entered Indian homes and quietly became part of countless lives. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi wasn’t just a show—it was emotion, memory, ritual. A time when families paused everything to sit together… cry, laugh, hope. To every viewer who made Tulsi a part of their own family—thank you. This journey wasn’t mine alone. It was ours. And it always will be,”   

The post cracked open a dam of memories on the internet, with people sharing how Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi wasn’t just a show but an “emotion, a ritual, a time when families paused everything to sit together.” 

Another recounted the iconic Mihir death episode, “I remember how we all used to sit together as a family at 10:30pm and watch the show. I dont think in today’s time a family can sit together and watch a show. Those were the days. I can never forget the episode when Mihir died and I was crying buckets. It moved each one of us.”

One user wrote with nostalgia “I remember how it was fav of my parents back then… n my late father n my mother would watch it with equal enthusiasm n won’t let us watch anything else .” 

A viewer recalled watching the show with her mother and aunt, “Those were the days! Would sit with Maa.. seeing her emotions while the serial used to play not her n masi discussing it too”

Many echoed the same golden feeling, “Loads of love, Didi… Feeling nostalgic. It wasn’t just a TV serial but an emotion.”

One of the user penned “Smriti ma'am, your life as Tulsi mirrored the life of many young girls and the trials and tribulations you faced were theirs too. Didn't miss watching single episode and I remember we would spend a large part of the day thinking about the previous nights episode and guessing what would come next. Everyone of us became the story writer”

And a heartfelt reminder of simpler times, “Those were the real golden moments… Now everything is instant, no curiosity, no family ritual like this. This is why kids today don’t know the value of things.” 

The Legacy of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi

For those who need a refresher, Ektaa Kapoor’s longest-running daily soap aired from 2000 to 2008, chronicling the life of Tulsi Virani, an ideal daughter-in-law from a pandit family married into the wealthy Virani household. The show dominated Indian living rooms for eight years, becoming a cultural phenomenon where people wept and rejoiced with Tulsi, Mihir, and the entire Virani family.

In an age of endless scrolling and on-demand content, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi reminds many of the days when families would wait for 10:30 PM with excitement, watching stories unfold together, laughing, crying, hoping, and sometimes even arguing over the characters as if they were part of their own family.

With Smriti Irani’s return, it’s not just Tulsi who’s making a comeback; it’s the memory of a simpler India, a pause in the chaos, and the warmth of family gathering around a single screen.

ALSO READ: Big Breaking! Smriti Irani Returns As Tulsi Virani, First Look From Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi Reboot Out