Smriti Irani returns as Tulsi Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, which debuted at No.1 in TRP charts and drew over 1.659 billion watch minutes in its first week.
Smriti Irani’s Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 has made a powerful comeback on TV. In its launch week, the Star Plus show topped the TRP charts, competing with Anupamaa at a rating of 2.3.
It ranked ahead of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Laughter Chefs (both at 2.0) and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (1.9). The revival of this iconic early-2000s drama also recorded over 1.659 billion minutes of watch time across television and streaming platforms.
The Ekta Kapoor-created show premiered on July 29 and drew 31.1 million TV viewers in just four days. Of these, 15.4 million tuned in for the premiere episode alone. According to Star Plus, this makes it the highest-rated fiction launch across general entertainment channels in recent times.
It is also the biggest-ever GEC fiction debut across television and digital in India. In its first week, the show had over 17,300 mentions on social media, the broadcaster noted, indicating both viewer participation and cultural effect.
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The serial brings back Smriti Irani as Tulsi Virani and Amar Upadhyay as Mihir Virani. It also features a younger cast to appeal to new viewers. According to Star Plus, the program connects with viewers of all ages by fusing nostalgia with modern storytelling.
The comeback demonstrates that "great narrative never loses its power," according to Sumanta Bose, Head of Cluster, Entertainment (Star Plus and Bharat, Bengali, Marathi, and Gujarati) at JioStar. The team sought to strike a balance between the emotional appeal of the original and a contemporary watching experience, he said, describing the premiere as "a cultural moment that transcends generations."
The popularity of the show is indicative of a larger trend in entertainment in which nostalgia is used as a tactic to appeal to both younger viewers and devoted fans. Familiar characters and stories provide a tried-and-true recipe for ratings in a time when streaming providers are fiercely competing.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi Season 2 shows how television can change while preserving its heritage by bringing back one of India's most cherished and loved TV dramas with modern themes.
The first season, produced by Balaji Telefilms, premiered in 2000 and became one of Indian TV’s longest-running daily soaps. Its return after more than two decades shows that when nostalgia meets smart storytelling, it can still dominate the ratings game.
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