Ekta Kapoor says having ‘Tulsi’ aka Smriti Irani by her side is her ‘biggest flex’

Actress-politician Smriti Irani and television czarina Ekta Kapoor have yet again given their fans a glimpse of their enduring friendship of over two decades. On Thursday, Ekta Kapoor reshared a post from Smriti congratulating her on her new venture.

Thanking Smriti for her love, Ekta stated that having Smriti by her side is a matter of huge ‘flex’ for her. Taking to her social media account, Ekta wrote, “To have my Tulsi by my side is my biggest flex,” accompanied by heart emoticons.



Smriti had taken to her social media account to wish Ekta all the luck on her new business.
She had written, “You have always shone bright @ektarkapoor and today you let others wear your sparkle.. congratulations on yet another success.”

For the uninitiated, Ekta called Smriti as Tulsi citing her famous character of the same name from the iconic show ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'. It went on to become one of the most successful Hindi television serials of all time, with Smriti's portrayal of Tulsi Virani emerging as one of Indian television's most beloved characters.

Over the years, Smriti and Ekta have often expressed admiration and respect for each other on social media through heartfelt posts.

On Ekta's 50th birthday, Smriti had penned an emotional note celebrating the producer's contribution to Indian television and their decades-long friendship. But reportedly things had not always been so amicable between the two strong women.

In the mid-2000s, during the prime era of ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi', creative differences reportedly led to Smriti stepping away from the show for a brief period. During that phase, actress Gautami Kapoor was brought in to play Tulsi Virani.

Talking about the show ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' , the show returned with its season 2 on August 2025, after 25 years of the initial release of its first season in July 2000. Smriti Irani is seen essaying the role of Tulsi with Amar Upadhyay stepping into the shoes of Mihir yet again.